Judge Temporarily Allows Ohio High Schoolers to Make NIL Deals

A judge in Ohio has granted a temporary restraining order that will allow high school students to profit off marketing their name, image, and likeness.

Most states allow high schoolers to make NIL deals. Only Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, and Wyoming ban NIL at the high school level, and Texas partially restricts it. But Ohio’s top wide receiver in the class of 2027, already committed to Ohio State, argues he should be able to sign endorsement deals.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page granted Jasmine Brown, mother of Jamier Brown, a temporary restraining order in her case against the Ohio High School Athletic Association, which runs high school sports in the state. 

The OHSAA voted against allowing students to market their NIL in 2022, but last month approved another proposal to be voted upon in the spring. Judge Page’s decision lifts OHSAA’s ban temporarily until another hearing scheduled in December. A spokesperson for the OHSAA said the organization “anticipated” the judge’s ruling and would send more information to schools Tuesday.

“Given the costs with being a youth athlete these days, having the ability to earn NIL compensation, just like the 44 other states that allow it, will finally bring much needed support to families in Ohio,” Brown’s attorney, Luke Fedlam, said in a statement to Front Office Sports.

Ohio students who have signed deals under the current rules have had to forfeit their amateur status, becoming ineligible to play for their high school teams.

Jasmine Brown filed the 15-page suit on behalf of her son as his parent and guardian. 

“I want to use my platform to make a difference for athletes across the state,” Jamier Brown wrote on social media.

“Like what’s allowed in other states, I want to be able to use my name, image, and likeness to help my family financially and get the extra after school academic help and football training that can help me maximize my potential,” he said.

The suit says he has been “approached with multiple NIL opportunities, including the licensing and promotion of trading cards valued in the six-figure range.”

Later on Tuesday, OHSAA announced it would hold an emergency vote sometime during the 45-day restraining order window. That date will be decided Thursday at a meeting of its board of directors, and each high school principal will get one vote.

“If the membership votes in favor of a proposal, it would allow OHSAA member schools to shape the NIL bylaw,” the organization said. “If schools do not vote in favor of the referendum, the lawsuit and the future of NIL in Ohio will be determined by the court.”