Ohio high schools strike down Name, Image and Likeness proposal
COLUMBUS — Despite a vote that would have allowed it, Ohio high school athletes will have to wait until college to profit off their name, image and likeness.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association voted on Name, Image and Likeness regulation during their annual voting process in the first 16 days of May. The OHSAA released the tally of the votes, and the measure did not pass. And it wasn’t close to passing.
The measure needed 409 yes votes from the 817 schools to pass the referendum, but it failed. Only 254 members schools voted in favor of Name, Image and Likeness for high school athletes.
The measure would have allowed athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, but there were some stipulations. They would not have been able to use their school logo, name or mascot in their endorsement deals. They also would not have been able to endorse alcohol, casinos, gambling, tobacco or drugs. Similar rules were adopted by the NCAA last year, when it became legal for college athletes to make money on endorsement deals — but with caveats.
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“Every year, the referendum voting process shows that our member schools have a voice in this democratic process,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a statement released by the governing body. “Our office was very pleased with the discussion and insights our schools expressed this spring as we met with them about each of the 14 proposals. If NIL is going to enter the Ohio interscholastic landscape, we want the schools to be the ones to make that determination. Whatever we do moving forward, it will include discussion on this issue with our school administrators, Board of Directors, staff and leaders of other state high school athletic associations.”
Only nine states across the country — California, Louisiana, Nebraska, New York, New Jersey, Utah, Kansas Alaska and Colorado — allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness while maintaining status as an amateur athlete.
Ohio will not be state No. 10. The measure to bring Name, Image and Likeness to the high school level in the Buckeye State failed by a wide margin.
