A lawsuit filed in Ohio could pave the way for high school athletes in that state to earn money from their name, image or likeness. Jamier Brown, one of the top high school wide receivers in the country, is suing the Ohio High School Athletic Association, calling their current rules “unlawful and outdated.”
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What does Jamier Brown’s lawsuit claim?
Brown’s mother, Jasmine, filed the lawsuit on her son’s behalf on Wednesday in Franklin County. The suit claims that the state high school association’s rules “unlawfully suppresses their economic liberties, freedom of expression, and restrains competition in the NIL marketplace.” The lawsuit points out state laws in Ohio that allow college students to earn money from their name, image and likeness. Ohio is one of six states that don’t allow high school athletes to do the same.
The OHSAA could soon vote to change its NIL rules in response to the suit. Brown, from Huber Heights, Ohio, claims an earning power of more than $100,000 per year, including “significant non-monetary benefits,” such as an enhanced reputation and networking connections, according to the lawsuit.
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Forty-four states and the District of Columbia allow high school students to earn money from their name, image and likeness.
Brown is ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s top 300 recruits in the 2027 class and is in his sophomore season at Wayne High School. He told ESPN that he wants the lawsuit to be “a game changer” for other kids, hoping they’ll have opportunities that players in other states already have.
“My family is getting by, but being able to use NIL would take some weight off my mom and me by helping cover things like tutoring, training and travel, which help me grow as both a student and a football player,” Brown said.
Is Brown committed to play college football?
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver has verbally committed to attend Ohio State University, but according to several media reports, he will be visiting Notre Dame this weekend. His case could change the way young athletes seek out college opportunities, especially if they’re already being paid while in high school.
“It’s about creating fairness and giving us the chance to use our name, image and likeness in positive ways while staying focused on school,” Brown told ESPN. “If this helps make things a little easier for the next group coming up, then it’s worth it.”
College football’s revenue-sharing era began with the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement in June. NIL money has already significantly changed the way programs recruit. Brown’s future coach at Ohio State, Ryan Day, addressed that issue on Tuesday.
“I think now more than ever, evaluations are critical, more than ever. It was important before, but if you brought somebody on your team in the past and maybe it didn’t quite work, they moved on,” Day said. “Well, now it’s gonna cost you a lot of money if you make a mistake. That’s just the truth of it all. So, I think evaluations are as important now as they’ve ever been.”
OHSAA Director of Media Relations Tim Stried told Straight Arrow News in an email that the association has been preparing schools for a vote on NIL rules regardless of the lawsuit. School members could decide whether to hold an “emergency vote” in the next few days.
