Ohio Republicans Propose Bill to Revise State's College Athlete NIL Law

Photo byLuis SantoyoonUnsplash

As the college football season kicks off in Ohio, two Republican lawmakers, State Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), are pushing to eliminate legal ambiguities in the state’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) law. The bill they introduced this week seeks to provide clearer guidelines for how universities and third-party entities can engage in NIL agreements with student-athletes.

“This legislation is designed to bridge the gap between the collective and our state universities by allowing the universities to work directly with the participants in the process of paying student athletes and also allow the universities to work directly with the organizations that are working in the NIL realm,” said Rep. Edwards, who previously played football at Ohio University. “We’re trying to free that up. It’s kind of in a gray area.”

The proposed bill would also ensure that student-athletes have the right to have an agent or lawyer review their contracts related to NIL compensation. This move comes in response to the complexities that have arisen since Ohio’s original NIL law was established following a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness.

“Our universities should not have to jump through these extra hoops that they’re having to jump through to ensure that our athletes are receiving the compensation that they deserve,” Edwards added. “This bill … it’s designed to support the student-athlete. … Our goal is to continue to allow our universities to compete in this new, ever-expanding world of NIL.”

One of the primary concerns addressed by the bill is the current "gray area" between collectives—private entities that help facilitate NIL deals—and universities. Rep. Mathews highlighted that this ambiguity could place student-athletes in challenging situations. “That puts student-athletes in a really odd situation,” he said.

Edwards expressed concerns that these legal uncertainties could lead to potential conflicts, including lawsuits during a player’s season. “We’re trying to simplify this by saying what is legal, what is not legal, and allow for some of these opportunities without this gray area existing,” Edwards explained.

When asked for specific examples of these gray areas, both Edwards and Mathews acknowledged that while they couldn't cite direct examples at the moment, they anticipated that such examples would surface during committee hearings.

The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee, and Ohio lawmakers are currently on break until after the November election. Colleges and universities in Ohio are expected to weigh in on the bill once it reaches the committee stage.

This legislative effort comes on the heels of a significant legal development, as the NCAA and the nation’s five largest athletic conferences recently agreed to settle antitrust claims. This settlement could pave the way for a potential revenue-sharing model that might begin directing millions of dollars to student-athletes as early as next fall. However, this settlement is still pending final approval from U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken.

As Ohio’s college athletes continue to secure substantial NIL compensation—Ohio State football players alone received about $20 million in the past year—the proposed bill aims to ensure that the state’s laws are clear and supportive of all parties involved in the NIL process.