Login | May 20, 2025
Bill to limit NIL deals to time of students’ athletic eligibilities
KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: May 19, 2025
A Republican duo in the Ohio House of Representatives has introduced legislation intended to safeguard the rights and financial interests of college student athletes as they develop their individual name, image and likeness brands.
Ashville Rep. Brian Stewart said House Bill 184 represents a significant step forward in ensuring fairness and protecting the rights of intercollegiate athletes in Ohio.
“The bill ensures that NIL contracts with student-athletes cannot extend beyond their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics,” he said during a recent Workforce and Higher Education Committee hearing. “This important protection guarantees that athletes retain their future rights to their NIL and are not compelled to relinquish compensation or other rights after their collegiate careers end.”
HB 184 would prohibit any person from entering into a contract with an intercollegiate athlete to compensate the athlete for the use of the athlete’s NIL if either the contract remains in effect beyond the date the athlete’s eligibility or it requires the athlete to provide post-college career compensation or rights.
The bill stipulates that any contract entered into in violation of the prohibition is void.
Stewart said HB 184 also addresses the regulation of athlete agents, establishing “necessary oversight to ensure agents cannot impose unfairly binding contracts on athletes beyond their eligibility.”
The bill extends the general prohibitions to include athlete agents specifically.
Current law, which would remain unchanged by the bill’s enactment, defines an agent contract as an agreement by which an athlete authorizes an athlete agent to market an athlete or an athlete’s reputation or negotiate or solicit an agreement with a professional sports team on behalf of the athlete or for the athlete’s employment.
Findlay Rep. Ty Mathews said the legislation also mandates financial transparency from athlete agents.
“It requires agents to deposit revenues earned on behalf of athletes into monitored trust accounts overseen by the Ohio Athletic Commission,” he said during the hearing. “This step ensures accountability and financial security for student-athletes.
HB 184 also would prohibit agents from sharing fees with unauthorized parties without the athlete’s written consent, Mathews said.
“These protections are crucial to prevent exploitation and ensure equitable standards in athlete representation,” he added.
Noting the timely nature of the bill, Mathews said HB 184 would ensure that Ohio is leading the nation in fairness, transparency and integrity as it relates to the subject.
Copyright © 2025 The Daily Reporter - All Rights Reserved