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Ohio Republicans want to ban high school and middle school athletes from engaging in name, image or likeness transactions.
State Representative Adam Miller, Recently introduced, R-New Richmond and Mike Odioso, R-Green Twp Ohio House Bill 661.
“The goal of Ohio high school sports should be learning as an extension of the classroom,” Bird said at a news conference last week.
“We do not spend taxpayers’ money on stadiums, weight rooms and gymnasiums to provide employment and income.”
Ohio is one of 45 states that allow high school athletes to have NIL contracts.
“It is important to note that NIL at the high school level in Ohio is very different from what we see at the college level” – Tim Stried, Ohio High School Athletic Association spokesman – said in an e-mail.
The association stated that it was aware of the regulations.
Osioso, former teacher and football coach at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, said it will all eventually lead to an underground transfer portal.
“We’re talking about seventh graders,” Odioso said. “We’re talking about eighth graders. We’re talking about first graders. (…) They are emotionally and mentally unprepared for this. They won’t be able to cope with it.”
Last week, Bird told an Ohio House Education Committee hearing that student enrollment for transfer schools is already happening in Ohio.
“This NIL change will undoubtedly make the situation worse,” he said. “Wealthy graduates will act as recruiting agents for their alma mater and employ the bait of NIL payments to direct students to transfer to a particular school. … “It’s about protecting our children from, in my opinion, predators who would like to take advantage of that child’s athletic abilities.”
A Franklin County judge issued a transient restraining order preventing the Ohio High School Athletic Association from enforcing its ban against high school athletes using NIL in October.
Jasmine Brown submitted the application lawsuit on behalf of her son Jamier Brownthe Ohio State Buckeyes football team from the Dayton area.
He is top winger from Wayne High School in Huber Heights transfer to Big Walnut High School in Sunbury for his senior year.
The lawsuit says Brown, a member of the class of 2027, lost more than $100,000 in potential business.
In November, member schools of high school athletic associations passed an emergency referendum to allow NIL. In this referendum, 447 schools voted in favor of athletes accepting NIL contracts, 121 schools voted against, and 247 schools abstained.
“We shouldn’t make decisions in the state of Ohio based on one judge in one county, and the state Legislature should have a say in the decisions it supports with tax revenues,” Bird said.
He clarified that the legislation is not intended to prevent a student from earning money.
In his opinion, the bill is intended to protect the amateur status of middle school or high school students.
“If a student in Ohio is talented enough to gain gainful employment because of his athletic talents, he should leave his high school team and join a professional tour, professional league, or obtain an NCAA NIL contract where he can financially benefit from his talent,” Bird said.
State Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, asked what the difference is between a paying high school athlete and a high school student making money on the weekends by playing music.
“Who are we as a Legislature to tell young people how they can monetize their skills on their time?” – he asked during a meeting of the House of Representatives Education Committee. “… It also happens outside of the school day. They can’t do it during the school day.”
However, Odioso refuted this argument.
“Are guitarists recruited to different schools?” he asked. “…I think that’s the biggest difference I can think of.”
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