Andrew Morris, public policy counsel for the NFL Players Association, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that House Bill 184 “empowers Ohio's collegiate athletes to benefit from their hard work and talent while also protecting athletes from harmful provisions and bad actors.”

Morris said the bill would ensure NIL contracts conclude at the end of college eligibility and provide “clear guidelines and transparency,” including the right for athletes to seek professional representation. He warned that some contracts have assigned away large percentages of future professional earnings or held NIL rights “into perpetuity,” and said those provisions can encumber athletes’ future careers.

Ross Bjork, senior vice president and director of athletics at The Ohio State University, said the bill adds protections that materialize as recruiting and NIL landscapes change. Bjork referenced a U.S. district court approval of the House v. NCAA settlement and the NCAA’s rule changes permitting universities to directly compensate student-athletes beginning July 1, 2025. “HB 184 will offer additional protections for student athletes by prohibiting the use of NIL contracts that extend beyond their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics,” he said.

Committee members asked whether the bill would affect existing contracts. Morris said there is an argument the bill “could be read and interpreted as applying to all active contracts,” while Bjork said Ohio State had seen “a few” problematic contracts and supported a potential retroactive clarification as a “belt and suspenders” approach.

The committee recorded proponent testimony from the NFL Players Association, Ohio State University, and written proponent testimony from the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio; written interest-party testimony from Fanatics was also submitted. The hearing was recorded as the bill’s second hearing; no committee vote occurred during the session.