As of this weekend, 45 states now allow high school students to take advantage of name, image and likeness deals. The Ohio High School Athletic Association voted in favor of allowing high school student-athletes to profit from NIL on Friday night.
According to OHSAA, 447 schools voted in favor of the emergency bylaw referendum, 121 schools voted against it and 247 schools abstained from voting.
Related: Ohio Judge Issues Order Temporarily Allowing High School NIL Deals
The issue came up for a vote after a student-athlete’s mother filed a lawsuit against BLANK. Her son, Jamier Brown, a top wide receiver prospect in the class of 2027, was offered a six-figure NIL deal, and he had already missed out on several similarly sized offers due to Ohio’s laws regarding high school NIL.
A judge then issued a temporary restraining order, allowing Brown and other student-athletes to pursue NIL opportunities while OHSAA voted on the matter.
While last week’s vote was considered an emergency bylaw referendum, the OHSAA has actually been drafting an NIL bylaw proposal for the past 18 months. The organization originally planned to hold a vote on NIL in the spring of 2026. That proposal was created by an NIL committee made up of school administrators and the OHSAA board of directors, and its language was finalized last month, making it useful as the framework for this emergency vote.
“We would like to thank our member schools for taking ownership of this NIL bylaw proposal,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA executive director. “Whether our schools or individuals agree with NIL at the high school level or not, the courts have spoken on this issue across the country that the NCAA and high school athletic associations cannot prevent a student-athlete from making money on their NIL.”
NIL continues to be prohibited for high school athletes in Indiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and the legislation is under review in Wyoming and Michigan.
