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The saga of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in Ohio high school (or even middle school) sports has gotten a new chapter.
Ohio's athletes were given the go-ahead by Ohio High School Athletic Association in an emergency November referendum to accept NIL deals. That came after a lawsuit from Ohio State football commit Jamier Brown in October.
Now, a bill from a pair of Cincinnati-area state representatives is trying to end NIL opportunities for high school athletes.
Representatives Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Township) announced House Bill 661 which would in part, "ban high school student-athletes from receiving compensation tied to their name, image, and likeness when it is connected to participation in interscholastic sports, nor receive compensation based on their position on a team roster."
The bill would make athletes ineligible in a sport for which they received compensation, but allow the athlete to remain eligible in other sports. It would also require organizations like the OHSAA to have rules for investigating violations and an appeals process for possible eligibility reinstatements.
Critics of NIL worry that high school-aged athletes would be unable to handle the expectations of large money deals or that schools and boosters would change the sporting landscape with recruitment battles that could leave other programs unable to compete.
“The unwarranted, new OHSAA NIL by-laws changes dangerously undermine the most cherished aspects of grade school and high school education and cocurricular athletics,” Odioso said in a release.
“High school sports are an extension of the classroom. They teach character, discipline, leadership, work ethic and fitness,” Bird said. “This bill is about protecting kids, keeping the focus on learning and development, and ensuring students across Ohio compete on a level playing field.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two Cincinnati-area Ohio reps introduce bill to combat high school NIL
Continue reading...
Ohio's athletes were given the go-ahead by Ohio High School Athletic Association in an emergency November referendum to accept NIL deals. That came after a lawsuit from Ohio State football commit Jamier Brown in October.
Now, a bill from a pair of Cincinnati-area state representatives is trying to end NIL opportunities for high school athletes.
Who introduced the bill?
Representatives Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Township) announced House Bill 661 which would in part, "ban high school student-athletes from receiving compensation tied to their name, image, and likeness when it is connected to participation in interscholastic sports, nor receive compensation based on their position on a team roster."
What would the Ohio NIL bill do?
The bill would make athletes ineligible in a sport for which they received compensation, but allow the athlete to remain eligible in other sports. It would also require organizations like the OHSAA to have rules for investigating violations and an appeals process for possible eligibility reinstatements.
Why do they want to end NIL?
Critics of NIL worry that high school-aged athletes would be unable to handle the expectations of large money deals or that schools and boosters would change the sporting landscape with recruitment battles that could leave other programs unable to compete.
“The unwarranted, new OHSAA NIL by-laws changes dangerously undermine the most cherished aspects of grade school and high school education and cocurricular athletics,” Odioso said in a release.
“High school sports are an extension of the classroom. They teach character, discipline, leadership, work ethic and fitness,” Bird said. “This bill is about protecting kids, keeping the focus on learning and development, and ensuring students across Ohio compete on a level playing field.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two Cincinnati-area Ohio reps introduce bill to combat high school NIL
Continue reading...
