Legislation could ban NIL for high school student-athletes

CINCINNATI — Recent legislation has been introduced to ban Name, Image and Likeness deals for high school and middle school students in Ohio. This comes just months after the OHSAA passed the bylaws to allow students to benefit from NIL. For one of the athletes who is making millions of dollars thanks to the new rules, he says his family relies on it.

Kam Mercer is just 16 years old but stands tall at 6-foot-5-inches, and counting.

“I get some growing pains here and there,” the sophomore said. 

The fifth-ranked player in the country in his class calls southern Ohio home. But he left his family and friends his freshman year to play at Huntington Prep in West Virginia and started his sophomore season at Overtime League in Atlanta, both prep schools where he could benefit financially from his game.

“More of like a family decision as far as, like, I had to help my family out financially,” Mercer said.

But then, everything changed.

“Ohio passed NIL, and it gave me the opportunity to come back home,” he said.

Just a few weeks later, Mercer transferred back to Princeton and began raking in NIL deals, like with Panini trading cards.

Mercer says he’s happy to be back home. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“It’s a multi-million dollar deal,” he confirmed.

It’s life-changing money that is making a big difference for his family.

“It is a decent amount of pressure,” he said. “But I know that if I wasn’t built for, I wouldn’t be here. So I’m just happy to be here with my family.”

But now, that could all change. Earlier this month, two Ohio State Representatives announced legislation to ban NIL deals for high school and middle school students.

“High school sports are an extension of the classroom,” State Rep. Adam Bird, R-District 63, said. “They teach character, discipline, leadership, work ethic and fitness. This bill is about protecting kids, keeping the focus on learning and development and ensuring students across Ohio compete on a level playing field.”

“The OHSAA is aware of the introduction of House Bill 661 and looks forward to continuing to provide information on the process taken to develop the proposal and safeguards that went to our membership for a vote last fall,” OHSAA spokesperson Tim Stried said. “It is important to note that NIL at the high school level in Ohio is very different than what we see at the college level, and that Ohio is one of 45 states that allows some version of NIL for high school student-athletes.”

Mercer listens to head coach Bryan Wyant in a huddle at practice. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

Mercer understands the controversy of NIL for student-athletes like him.

“It does make you more mature than you are,” Mercer said. “At the end of day, I know I’m a 16-year-old kid, and I don’t try to act any more mature than I am. But just being in a situation I am now, I have to grow up a little bit more.”

But he’s hopeful the new bill doesn’t go into effect, because that could mean leaving his family once again.

“If it does, I don’t know what I’ll do,” he said. “I know I’ll be fine, but I’m just I’m not too worried about it, but, like, who knows what could happen?”

The next hearing for House Bill 661 to ban NIL for high school and middle school athletes is set for Tuesday.