Lawsuit could force OHSAA vote on NIL compensation for high school athletes

COLUMBUS — A new lawsuit filed in Franklin County could bring major changes to high school sports across Ohio.

The legal challenge targets the Ohio High School Athletic Association and could trigger an emergency referendum vote on whether student-athletes should be allowed to profit from their name, image, and likeness — commonly known as NIL.

If approved, the proposal would allow OHSAA member schools to help shape a new bylaw permitting athletes to sign endorsement, appearance, or social media deals while maintaining rules to protect amateur status.

The OHSAA remains one of just six state associations that still bans NIL. The issue last went to a vote in 2022, when member schools rejected it by a wide margin, 538 to 254.