Ohio high schools vote down payment deals for athletes

The Name, Image and Likeness proposal for Ohio high school athletes was one of two referendum items that failed in voting by high school principals across the state, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced today.

The NIL proposal failed 538-254. Only four of the 817 member schools in the state did not participate in the voting process.

The NIL proposal mirrored recent changes made at the NCAA level and would have allowed high school student athletes to sign endorsement agreements.

“Every year, the referendum voting process shows that our member schools have a voice in this democratic process,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a release. “Our office was very pleased with the discussion and insights our schools expressed this spring as we met with them about each of the 14 proposals. If NIL is going to enter the Ohio interscholastic landscape, we want the schools to be the ones to make that determination. Whatever we do moving forward, it will include discussion on this issue with our school administrators, Board of Directors, staff and leaders of other state high school athletic associations.”

The other issue that failed by a 406-393 margin was a proposal to add a new exception to the Enrollment and Attendance bylaw, which would have permitted a student enrolled at a public school that does not sponsor a team sport to potentially play that sport at a public school located in a border public school district.

Twelve other referendum items passed. More information on those issues and the results of the voting can be found here.

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