COLUMBUS, Ohio — Name, image and likeness is a reality in Ohio high school sports for the time being.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page issued a temporary restraining order Monday, which would allow high school athletes in the state to enter into NIL deals, according to the Associated Press.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is expected to give an update Tuesday regarding a potential scheduled emergency referendum vote from its 815 member schools on a bylaw that could change the OHSAA handbook language to allow high school athletes to benefit from NIL.
Huber Heights Wayne star football player Jamier Brown, the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver in the 2027 class, filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Oct. 17 that seeks to allow him to receive NIL compensation while in high school.
On Monday, the judge ruled a 45-day temporary restraining order and set a timeline moving forward.
“This is a significant ruling not only for Jamier but high school athletes across the state of Ohio,” Luke Fedlam, Brown’s attorney, told AP. “There are 44 states that allow high school athletes to enjoy that benefit through NIL.”
Another hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Dec. 15, according to the AP.
The complaint said Brown, a Wayne High School (Huber Heights) junior who is verbally committed to Ohio State, has the earning power of more than $100,000 per year in potential NIL deals. But, the OHSAA has not allowed NIL in high school sports after its membership voted it down in 2022.
Ohio is one of six states with rules that don't allow NIL in high school sports.
The OHSAA has maintained a lawsuit was a possibility even after OHSAA member schools voted down an NIL proposal by more than a two-to-one margin (538 to 254) in May 2022.
During the OHSAA regional update meetings in August and September this fall, school administrators were informed that a proposal on NIL was likely on the horizon.
Ohio has the third-largest participation rate in high school sports nationally behind Texas and California, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
