**Ohio Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Allowing High School Athletes to Profit from NIL Deals**
CLEVELAND — An Ohio common pleas judge granted a temporary restraining order on Monday that will allow high school athletes in the state to enter into deals profiting from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page issued the order, which could enable students from the 818 schools in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) to pursue their own NIL agreements. Currently, Ohio is one of six states prohibiting high school athletes from accepting payments related to their NIL. The other states with similar restrictions are Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Wyoming.
The lawsuit was filed on October 15 by Jasmine Brown, mother of Jamier Brown, in her capacity as “parent or guardian” in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Jamier is a junior at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio—a suburb of Dayton—and is considered the top wide receiver prospect in the class of 2027. He has verbally committed to Ohio State University, located in Franklin County.
According to Brown’s mother and their legal team, Jamier has already missed out on more than $100,000 in potential NIL opportunities.
“This is a significant ruling not only for Jamier but for high school athletes across the state of Ohio. Forty-four states already allow high school athletes to benefit from NIL,” said Luke Fedlam, Brown’s attorney with the Amundsen Davis law firm in Columbus.
In 2022, OHSAA members decisively voted down an NIL proposal with a margin of 538-254. However, the OHSAA Board of Directors recently approved language for a new NIL proposal, initially planned for a vote in May. Monday’s court ruling is likely to accelerate that timeline.
OHSAA spokesperson Tim Stried commented, “The OHSAA anticipated the judge making an initial ruling today on the NIL lawsuit to set the timeline moving forward. We are finalizing communications regarding the next steps for our member schools and will send out details on Tuesday.”
A subsequent hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for December 15.
Fedlam emphasized the differences between high school and college NIL regulations, stating, “It’s important for folks to understand high school NIL is different from college NIL. There are guardrails in place that protect the integrity of sport and competition. In college, we have seen collectives used for NIL recruiting and retention. That does not exist at the high school level. Most states have regulations prohibiting collectives and maintain eligibility safeguards.”
This ruling marks a pivotal moment for Ohio’s high school athletes, potentially opening new doors for them to benefit financially from their athletic talents.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/21/sports/ohio-judge-grants-temporary-order-allowing-high-school-students-to-profit-from-nil-deals/