Can high school athletes in Ohio do NIL deals?

Yes, with the strictest paperwork of any permitting state. Ohio permits high school NIL under Bylaw 4-11 (effective November 24, 2025) if nine enumerated criteria are met. Uniquely, Ohio requires a notarized affidavit signed by the student AND at least one parent or guardian regardless of the student's age, and every NIL agreement must be disclosed to the OHSAA itself within 14 days - late disclosure risks ineligibility of up to 20% of the sport season. One sharp edge families miss: Ohio's separate Amateur bylaw (4-10-2(f)) forfeits amateur status for entering into an agreement with a sports or marketing agent - so an Ohio high schooler cannot sign with an agent at all.

Ohio High School NIL Rules (OHSAA)

What's allowed

NIL activity meeting all nine criteria of Bylaw 4-11-2(a)-(i)

What's prohibited

Use of OHSAA or member-school name, logos, mascots, trademarks, or implying school/OHSAA endorsement
Agreements provided, procured, or facilitated by a member school or an agent of the school — collectives, booster clubs, foundations, administrators, coaches
NIL activity during school hours, travel to or from any OHSAA event, or official team activities
Compensation based on specific athletic performance, achievement, or participation
Enrollment inducements
Displaying or advertising a sponsor during official team activities
Any money, merchandise, or services flowing to the school or team
Gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, banned or illegal substances, adult entertainment, firearms or other weapons — plus a catch-all for anything OHSAA deems inappropriate
Entering into an agreement with a sports or marketing agent (O.R.C. 4771.01 et seq.) - forfeits amateur status under the separate Amateur bylaw 4-10-2(f)

Parental consent, disclosure & representation

Parental consent required

Yes

Disclosure required

Yes

School marks allowed

No

Agent / representation addressed

No

Disclosure runs to: The OHSAA itself (not merely the school), within 14 days of entering the agreement. Failure or late disclosure carries ineligibility of up to 20% of the sport season (Bylaw 4-11-3).

State-law status

Most volatile regime of any state verified. History: prior NIL ban enjoined by Franklin County TRO (Brown v. OHSAA, Oct 20, 2025) -> emergency member vote created Bylaw 4-11 (effective Nov 24, 2025). An Ohio bill introduced Feb 2026 would ban middle- and high-school NIL outright - a pending statute-vs-bylaw conflict (unverified). Separately, Ohio's COLLEGE NIL statute (ORC ch. 3376, eff. March 20, 2026, HB 184) defines 'athlete agent' by cross-reference to ORC 4771 registration and bars agents from taking post-eligibility NIL rights as fees (ORC 4771.12(D)). NOTE: an earlier research pass reported May-2026 amendments adding a marketing-agent carve-out effective Aug 1, 2026; a direct read of both current primary documents (2026-07-19) found NO such text - that claim was retracted before publication.

Who sets this rule

Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sets Ohio's high school eligibility rules. High school NIL is governed by private association bylaws — not federal law, and in most states not statute — which is why the answer differs state to state and can change in a single handbook cycle.

Sources

OHSAA Bylaw 4, Section 11 — Name, Image & Likeness / Personal Branding Rights (November 24, 2025)
4-11-3: requires each NIL agreement to be disclosed to the OHSAA within 14 days. 4-11-8: Any violation of Bylaw 4-11 shall be subject to penalties outlined in Bylaw 11.
OHSAA Student & Parent Affirmations (notarized affidavit) (November 24, 2025)
A notarized affidavit must be completed by the student AND at least one parent/guardian, regardless of the student's age, sworn before a notary public.
OHSAA NIL Resource Center (November 24, 2025)
OHSAA Bylaws - Bylaw 4-10-2(f), Amateur status (agent forfeiture) (November 24, 2025)
An athlete forfeits amateur status ... f) Entering into an agreement with a sports or marketing agent (O.R.C. §§4771.01 et seq.).

Governing text effective November 24, 2025.

Change history

July 19, 2026 — Corrected: removed an unverifiable 'May 2026 amendments / agent carve-out' claim after direct document reads; added the Amateur-bylaw 4-10-2(f) agent prohibition; citation dates fixed to the Nov 24, 2025 effective text.

Not legal advice. This page documents publicly available rules and is not legal advice. Rules change, and associations do not always announce changes. Confirm anything you rely on with the governing association, your school compliance office, or your own counsel before acting.

Spot an error? Tell us and cite the source — we re-check the primary source before changing anything, and record what changed.