OHSAA Approves NIL For High School Athletes After Lawsuit By Ohio State Commit Jamier Brown

Ohio has become the 45th state to allow NIL deals for high school student athletes.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) approved the litigation to allow high school athletes to make NIL deals in the state Monday. 

Spurred by the Oct. 15 lawsuit filed by Ohio State five-star commit Jamier Brown and his mother, Jasmine Brown, challenging the NIL ban — and Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page ruled five days later to temporarily block the OHSAA from enforcing it — the vote was moved up from its original May 2026 date.

OHSAA members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the emergency referendum that ended the ban, with 447 voting to allow NIL, while just 121 were against and 247 did not vote from Nov. 17-21. 

“We would like to thank our member schools for taking ownership of this NIL bylaw proposal,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a press release. “Whether our schools or individuals agree with NIL at the high school level or not, the courts have spoken on this issue across the country that the NCAA and high school athletic associations cannot prevent a student-athlete from making money on their NIL.” 

Brown said that while he doesn’t need the NIL income, the chance to earn more than $100,000 a year, the valuation cited in his lawsuit,  could be life-changing for a young athlete.

“My family is getting by, but being able to use NIL would take some weight off my mom and me by helping cover things like tutoring, training and travel, which help me grow as both a student and a football player,” Brown said.

A product of Wayne High School in Dayton, Brown is the sixth ranked overall prospect and the No. 1 wide receiver in the class of 2026. 

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