Panel Considers NIL Protections to Prevent Perpetual Contracts for College Athletes

Proponents of House Bill 184 told the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee the bill would protect college athletes from predatory or perpetual name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements and help preserve athletes’ future professional opportunities.

Andrew Morris, public policy counsel for the NFL Players Association, said recent market practices have produced contracts that can bind athletes to unfavorable terms beyond college and accused some agreements of assigning away rights in perpetuity. "We've seen contracts that hold an athlete's NIL rights into perpetuity," he said, warning that young athletes — including minors — can be locked into agreements that limit future earnings. Morris urged the committee to ensure contracts terminate at the end of college eligibility and to block fee arrangements that entitle agents to future professional earnings.

Representatives of athletes.org and other player-advocacy groups echoed the protection goals, citing high-profile examples they said illustrate the need for uniform safeguards. Witnesses discussed concerns around transfers and the applicability of Ohio law when an athlete signs a contract while affiliated with an Ohio institution but later moves out of state; some witnesses suggested a choice-of-law provision could help preserve Ohio students’ protections.

Members asked about interactions with the NCAA, conference-level rules and the transfer portal; witnesses said uniform conferences or collective approaches could provide longer-term solutions but that state legislation would protect athletes in the near term. The committee concluded HB 184 testimony and accepted written submissions; no final vote was taken.