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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio bans middle and high school student-athletes from earning NIL compensation tied to athletics
Last action · February 4, 2026: Referred to EducationSponsors: Adam Bird and 14 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 661 prohibits middle and high school student-athletes from earning compensation from their or team roster position in connection with . Under the measure, athletes who accept prohibited compensation lose eligibility to play that specific sport, while governing organizations must establish investigation and appeal procedures.
Local middle and high school athletes across public, community, STEM, and s face restrictions on monetizing their athletic participation, while school districts and athletic conferences must enforce the ban and create new investigation and appeal processes.
- State legislatures across the country have increasingly considered legislation to regulate or restrict name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation following changes in collegiate athletic rules. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Middle or high school student-athletes
Student-athletes are prohibited from earning compensation from their name, image, likeness, or roster position in connection with interscholastic athletics and face athletic ineligibility in specific sports if they violate the ban.
Middle or high schools and school districts
Schools and districts are barred from permitting student-athletes to earn prohibited compensation and must enforce ineligibility rules when violations occur.
Interscholastic athletic conferences and regulating organizations
Organizations regulating interscholastic athletics must adopt rules and bylaws establishing investigation procedures, determinations, and appeal processes for executive officer review.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which students are covered under this ban?
What happens if a student-athlete receives prohibited NIL compensation?
Can a student appeal a decision finding they violated the NIL ban?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Education
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Extension of NIL Restrictions to K-12 Athletics
While college athlete NIL compensation has expanded nationwide, this bill explicitly applies restrictions downward to middle and high school interscholastic athletics.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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