OHIO, USA — With college football season getting ready to kick off for universities across Ohio, two state lawmakers say the timing is great for their brand new bill regarding how student-athletes get paid.
Rep. Adam Mathews (R - Lebanon) and Rep. Jay Edwards (R - Nelsonville) introduced a bill they say will protect student-athletes and erase gray areas when it comes to negotiating name, image and likeness deals.
The two lawmakers say this is a fun bill to work on, but necessary because NIL is not going anywhere.
The bill would update Ohio's NIL law to allow universities, the nonprofit collectives that raise money to pay athletes and the student-athletes themselves to work directly together through the process of making a deal. They say that this will ensure that student-athletes get the compensation they deserve and that negotiations and deals are kept legally above board.
"Our goal is to continue to allow our universities to compete in this ever-expanding world of NIL," Edwards said. "Whether you like NIL, or don't like NIL, and I can go through the pros and cons of NIL, it's here to stay."
"In this name, image and likeness zone where all of this law is unfolding right in front of us, it is even more crucial for our universities to make sure that their student-athletes are not put into a trap," Mathews said.
The representatives say the measure will also help the universities in recruiting student-athletes because it simplifies and clarifies the process.
The new legislation has not yet been assigned to a House committee. The representatives say they believe the bill can pass by the end of this year. The Legislature is scheduled to be back in session after the November election.