Personal Branding and Student Athletes

NIL – What You Need To Know

High school student-athletes can now enter into agreements and receive compensation for the use of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) after the Ohio High School Athletic Association approved a personal-branding measure in November 2025. The OHSAA's rule enables students to receive monetary compensation for appearances, licensing, social media content, endorsements, and other forms of personal branding linked to their public recognition.

The OHSAA rules still require student-athletes to meet all requirements to remain eligible for interscholastic competitions and have not changed regarding where they may accept gifts and awards. The rules also do not permit students to be paid to play a sport in which they compete as amateurs. Additionally, student-athletes may accept awards, gifts, and prizes based on their participation or finish of a competition only if the value does not exceed $500 and is not cash.

The new OHSAA measure also includes reporting procedures and limitations to help students avoid inadvertently violating OHSAA recruiting or amateurism regulations. Please review the attached resources to learn more about the NIL-Personal Branding Rules.

View The OHSAA NIL Resource Page

NIL/Personal Branding Rights 
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How was Bylaw 4-11 developed?
A: Since the original proposal was voted down by the OHSAA membership in the spring of 2022, the Executive Director’s Office has worked closely with school administrators on an individual basis, the OHSAA Board of Directors, a specific committee surrounding Name, Image, and Likeness made up of school administrators, and other allied educational organizations to craft the language that covered the concerns of the membership.

Q: What requirements must students abide by if they enter into an agreement?
A: There are nine different requirements outlined within Bylaw 4-11-2 that students, families, and businesses must be aware of when crafting these agreements with students. In short, those requirements are as follows:

1. The student may not use the name, logos, mascots, or trademarks of the OHSAA or the member school with which they are enrolled while executing the requirements of their contract.
2. The student may not engage in an agreement that is provided by the member school or an agent of the school (i.e. collectives, boosters, foundations, coaches, etc.).
3. The student may not engage in any personal branding activities during school hours, while traveling to or from an OHSAA event, or during any official team activities.
4. The student may not receive compensation based on specific athletic performance or achievement.
5. The student may not engage in an agreement that is intended to induce their enrollment at a particular school.
6. The student may not display the sponsor’s product or otherwise advertise for a sponsor during official team activities.
7. The student may not provide money, merchandise, or services of value directly to the student’s school and/or team.
8. The student may not engage in an agreement associated with gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, illegal substances, adult entertainment, or firearms.
9. The student is responsible for determining what effect the agreement may have on their eligibility with the NCAA, NJCAA, and/or the NAIA.

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