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| OHSAA decal on the floor of University of Dayton Arena (Photo: Gene Simmons/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
COLUMBUS, Ohio - In light of the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Jaiza Page in the Franklin County Courts of Common Pleas, which addresses the enforcement of the bylaw that forbids a student-athlete from receiving compensation for his or her Name, Image, and Likeness, the OHSAA has decided to conduct an emergency referendum vote.
As stated in a press release by Tim Stried, Director of Media Relations for the OHSAA, the organization has declared that an emergency referendum vote concerning NIL will be submitted to member schools within the 45-day period.
On Thursday, October 23, during the Board of Directors meeting, the voting dates will be established. Each high school represented by a member is entitled to one vote, which will be cast by the principal.
Following the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, the OHSAA will announce the proposed NIL bylaw language and the voting timeframe for the emergency referendum.
If a membership votes in favor of a proposal, it would allow the OHSAA member schools to shape the NIL bylaw. If the schools do not vote in favor of the referendum, the lawsuit and the future of NIL in Ohio will be determined by the court.
"We anticipated a lawsuit would come any day, and our Board of Directors has already approved the language of an NIL bylaw referendum for our schools to vote on," said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. "We are thankful for the 45-day window so our schools will have time to learn more about this referendum and to vote on our proposed language for NIL.
During the OHSAA Regional Update Meetings around Ohio in August and September, administrators in attendance were informed that a proposal on NIL was likely coming. With feedback from a committee of school administrators that met on the issue at the OHSAA also provided beneficial feedback.
NIL at the high school level has spread rapidly across the country in the last several years since it became permitted at the college level.
In 2022, OHSAA member schools voted down the OHSAA's first NIL proposal by more than a two-to-one margin (538 to 254).
Kindly consult the official press release issued by the OHSAA here.
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