Login | January 16, 2026
What new Ohio high school NIL rules mean for student-athletes
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal Tech News
Published: January 16, 2026
On Nov. 24, 2025, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced a major rule change, allowing student-athletes to take advantage of NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunities.
This after an emergency referendum in which its 815 member schools voted 447-121 (247 abstained) in favor of permitting high school athletes to do so.
In a Nov. 25 FindLaw post by Kit Yona reviewed by attorney Joseph Fawbush (https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/legally-weird/ohio-high-school-athletic-association-joins-other-states-in-allowing-student-athletes-to-make-nil-deals/), Yona discusses what it means for students.
First, she says, it’s important to realize that the deals are not “likely to generate even a small fraction of the pending NIL revenue garnered by NCAA college athletes.”
That’s because OHSAA NIL endorsement deals and sponsorships are subject to restrictive rules, she says.
It was back in 2015 when a federal appeals court ruling determined it was an antitrust violation for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) to forbid student-athletes at the college level from making NIL deals.
Yona says states began passing laws to allow college NIL agreements in 2019, with some going into effect in 2022.
The changes in the rules for high school student-athletes follow a lawsuit filed by the mother of Ohio football player Jamier Brown, which argued that OHSAA’s ban violated the state’s antitrust laws as well as Brown’s right to freedom of speech and equal protection.
While student-athletes cannot receive direct payments for playing a sport at any level, the rules allow college students to be compensated by their schools for the use of their NILs.
In the case of the now 45 states that allow NIL deals for high school athletes, Yona says they can utilize their names, images and likenesses to generate revenue through endorsements, social media posts or public appearances.
High school student-athletes can accept offers immediately, but there are quite a few caveats.
Students can’t use their school’s name, logo or mascot in their NIL activities and they aren’t allowed to do any work during school hours, practices, games or team events.
They must disclose their NIL contracts to their schools within 14 days and cannot enter into agreements promoting any prohibited products, such as those involving the gaming/gambling industry, alcohol, tobacco, Cannabis, adult entertainment, firearms etc.
Yona says while the potential for these deals is exciting, only a small number of high school student-athletes will likely get the chance to take advantage of these opportunities.