Ohio schools reject NIL proposal
Good morning!
It's been a newsy start to the week, so let's get right into what's been happening.
The big news of the day is that Ohio schools voted against the OHSAA's proposed bylaw change that would allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
Nine states allow NIL rights to high schoolers — Alaska, California, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Utah — but Ohio won't be the 10th. From what I've heard from OHSAA executive director Doug Ute, the athletic directors generally felt that Ohio was moving unnecessarily quickly on this issue and they didn't feel it was something that needed to be dealt with now.
The OHSAA will point out that the goal of moving quickly was to give member schools an opportunity to shape the regulation as they see fit, instead of leaving it up to potential lawmaker intervention. Ute said the OHSAA hasn't been approached by any lawmakers yet, but he also believes it's only a matter of time.
My two cents: I believe that NIL at the high school level will eventually get to a point where all states have to allow it, much like how it transitioned at the college level from an individual-state issue to a national one, but I think that's a matter of years, not months. This landscape is ever-changing, and as more high school athletes gain notoriety on social media, I think the pressure to allow NIL will increase. Opinions will always be split, and it's a fascinating story to follow.
The NIL regulation is just one of many referendum items that were voted on this month, so stay tuned to our website for deeper coverage of all the issues at hand.
Welcome to the Schott: Monday, the OHSAA announced that the inaugural OHSAA-sponsored girls wrestling state tournament will be alongside the boys at the Schottenstein Center next March. The Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association has sponsored a state tournament the last few seasons while working to earn full recognition from the OHSAA, which they received in January.
To put it simply, this is awesome. I heard nothing but incredible things about the atmosphere for wrestling at the Schott from when I started at the Dispatch in February 2021, and I had to wait over a year to see it firsthand after the 2021 tournament was held at school sites. When I finally got to see it for myself, I was blown away.
Girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and it's wonderful that the female wrestlers in Ohio will have an opportunity to compete in the same environment as the male wrestlers. Throughout wrestling season, all I hear from the wrestlers is how excited they are to make it to the Schott, and now another group of athletes will get to have that same experience.
I'm already counting the days to March 10, 2023, for what will be a historic moment.
Athlete of the week: Congratulations to Thomas Worthington's Katie Niven, who was named Athlete of the Week for May 2-8. Voting is now open for this week's poll, which covers events from May 9-15.
To nominate your athlete for consideration in future polls, email sports editor Brian White (bwhite1@dispatch.com) by Monday morning for the previous week's events. More information on athlete of the week nominations can be found here.
That's all for this week in the newsletter. As always, thank you for reading, and thank you for subscribing to the Dispatch.
Have a great week!
Bailey Johnson
Sports reporter
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio schools reject NIL proposal
