COLUMBUS (AP) — Football players and athletes in Ohio State’s other 35 sports now will be able to make money off the sale of Buckeyes jerseys bearing their names and numbers.
The school said Tuesday it entered into a group licensing agreement allowing athletes who opt in to the program to share in the profit from jerseys bearing Ohio State trademarks and their names and numbers.
Last month, the NCAA lifted its longtime ban on athletes being compensated for their names, images and likenesses.
The Ohio State program, run by The Brandr Group — a brand management, marketing and licensing agency — will create opportunities for current Ohio State athletes to join a group licensing program of three or more athletes from the same team or one with six or more athletes from any combination of teams, according to a release from the school.
While the deal won’t guarantee NIL opportunities, it will facilitate group licensing opportunities on behalf of the athletes.
NIL opportunities have already started to change college sports.
Quinn Ewers, considered the top quarterback prospect in the class of 2022, said he is skipping his senior year of high school in Texas and plans to enroll at Ohio State so he can tap into NIL opportunities.
The five-star recruit said his decision was influenced by Texas rules that prohibit high school athletes from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals.
Ewers’ parents told Yahoo! Sports that their son has several potential deals lined up, but a Texas law aimed at giving college athletes NIL rights prevents high school athletes from doing so.