Ohio High School Athletes Embrace NIL Opportunities Amid New Restrictions

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The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has lifted its long-standing restrictions on name, image, and likeness (NIL) activities for high school athletes. This decision, approved by a huge majority of member schools, opens the door for Ohio’s high school athletes to profit from their public recognition.

But, this new freedom comes with a detailed framework meant to preserve amateur status and keep everyone in line with recruiting rules. Let’s dig into what these new regulations actually mean for athletes, schools, and the wider community.

Table of Contents

Understanding the New NIL Regulations

The OHSAA’s choice to allow NIL activities is a big shift in Ohio high school sports. With this change, Ohio joins 44 other states in letting high school athletes earn money through promotional activities.

Still, the policy brings a handful of restrictions to keep things fair and above board.

Key Restrictions on NIL Activities

Sure, athletes can now sign NIL deals, but there are some important limitations they’ll need to keep in mind:

No school branding: Athletes can’t use school names, logos, uniforms, mascots, or any other official branding from the OHSAA or its member schools in ads or promotions. They also can’t imply their school or the OHSAA is endorsing them.
No deals provided by the school or its affiliates: NIL agreements can’t come from booster clubs, school foundations, coaches, administrators, alumni “collectives,” or anyone acting for a school. The OHSAA specifically calls out collectives as off-limits, which is a pretty big deal considering their role in college sports.
No NIL activity during official team activities: Athletes can’t film content, promote products, or do NIL events during practice, meetings, games, tournaments, travel, or school hours.
No pay-for-play: Athletes can’t get paid based on performance—no cash for touchdowns, points, or wins. NIL can’t be used as a recruiting tool or as a reason to transfer.
No prohibited products: NIL deals involving gambling, gaming, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, banned or illegal substances, adult entertainment, or firearms are strictly out.
No team benefits: NIL money must go to the athlete only—not the school, team, or athletic department.
Mandatory disclosure: All NIL agreements have to be reported to the OHSAA within 14 days. If not, the athlete could face up to a 20 percent season suspension. If a transfer seems connected to an NIL deal, the OHSAA will assume illegal recruiting happened, which could mean ineligibility. Schools and coaches could also face penalties if they try to steer NIL deals to influence enrollment.

The Legal and Administrative Context

The referendum moved quickly after a Franklin County judge issued a temporary restraining order in October, responding to a lawsuit from a student-athlete challenging the old NIL ban. With the legal case still in play, the association put the proposal to a statewide vote, leading to these new rules.

OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said the rule gives Ohio schools some much-needed structure as NIL becomes more common. “Whether our schools or individuals agree with NIL at the high school level or not, the courts have spoken,” Ute said. “This will be a continually evolving piece of high school athletics, and our schools have asked us to ensure that recruiting and transfer bylaws remain enforceable.”

Ongoing Compliance and Education

The OHSAA plans to keep monitoring NIL deals and help schools stay compliant. Any big changes to the bylaw will go through the usual referendum process in May.

This move comes after more than a year and a half of discussion, with input from administrators, the OHSAA board, and school reps at regional meetings. For now, the association wants to give students access to opportunities that are already normal in most of the country.

Implications for Ohio High School Athletes

The new NIL rules open up real opportunities for Ohio high school athletes to make money from their personal brands. But taking advantage of these options means paying close attention to the restrictions to avoid penalties and stay within OHSAA rules.

Potential Benefits and Challenges

Athletes now have a shot at earning money through endorsements, social media, personal appearances, licensing, and other promotions. That could mean some extra cash and a crash course in managing their own brand.

But, they’ll have to be careful about using school branding, where their deals come from, and when they do NIL activities. Schools and coaches have to tread carefully too, making sure they don’t accidentally break the rules or get caught up in recruiting violations.

The mandatory disclosure rule adds some paperwork, but it’s there to keep things transparent and fair. All in all, it’s a new world for Ohio high school sports—one that’s still taking shape.

The Future of NIL in Ohio High School Sports

NIL activity is weaving itself deeper into high school sports in Ohio. The OHSAA will probably keep tweaking its rules as new challenges and opportunities pop up.

They’re focused on tracking NIL deals and making sure schools stay informed about compliance. That approach feels pretty important if we want to keep things fair for all athletes.

If you want to dig into the details, check out the full article on the Morning Journal News.

Joe Hughes is the founder of CollegeNetWorth.com, a comprehensive resource on college athletes' earnings potential in the NIL era. Combining his passion for sports with expertise in collegiate athletics, Joe provides valuable insights for athletes, fans, and institutions navigating this new landscape.

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