Ohio universities to pay student-athletes under this Statehouse-approved bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio universities will soon be allowed to pay student-athletes for their name, image and likeness.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation late on Thursday night to codify an executive order he made in November permitting universities to directly pay student-athletes. Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), the provision's primary sponsor, said the legislature needed to bolster the governor's order "to eliminate red tape, legislative issues and legal problems so our athletes can succeed."

"Ohio has been at the forefront of athletic name, image and likeness action for years," said Mathews during a hearing for the legislation in November. "Our flagship universities could recruit the type of talent needed to provide strong performance on the field and set up futures for students off the field."

DeWine's November order came after a federal judge granted preliminary approval to a $2.78 billion settlement between the NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences that clears the way for universities to pay students directly. Watch a previous report on Ohio's NIL law in the video player above.

Mathews' proposal had stood on its own as House Bill 660 but was folded into House Bill 315 during the Statehouse's final session last year. H.B. 315 has been described as an "omnibus" bill and tackles several other topics, including a measure that could charge anyone who requests police body camera footage up to $75 an hour.

The NIL provision in H.B. 315 allows student-athletes to hire an agent or attorney to represent them in deals, while prohibiting them for using the university's facilities or logos for deals without the school's approval. The deals would be confidential and not subject to public records laws, and anyone under age 18 would be unable to enter into a brand contract.

Ross Bjork, Ohio State's athletic director, testified in support of the provision during a second November hearing and said the university is committed to maintaining athletic scholarships for all 36 programs, while also fully funding the direct payments to student-athletes.

"While the executive order provides flexibility and a critical path to make certain our student-athletes and institutions in Ohio are on a fair and level playing field with those in other states, [this bill] will provide the necessary statutory framework needed as the NCAA and several athletic conferences, including the Big Ten, finalize the settlement agreement," he said.

Bjork previously announced Ohio State will begin direct payments to student-athletes starting July 1. Payments will be approved through revenue sharing, a compensation model that will allow universities to share up to 22% of the athletic department revenue with varsity athletes. Bjork said these payments are expected to exceed $20 million annually, increasing each year by at least 4%.

John Cunningham, University of Cincinnati athletic director, also submitted testimony for the November hearing and said UC's NIL department successfully provided NIL opportunities to 100% of student-athletes with 761 deals in 2024. Collaborating with Cincy Reigns, the university's official NIL partner, UC organized "the country's largest female-focused NIL event."

"Allowing university athletic departments to bring NIL operations in-house provides protection and accountability not present in the current framework," wrote Cunningham. "Brining this under our internal umbrella allows us to take a holistic approach for the overall benefit of the student athlete."