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Ohio Revised Code Title XLVII. Occupations Professions § 4771.12

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(A) Fees charged by an athlete agent for services provided to an athlete may be negotiated between the parties.

(B)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, an athlete agent shall establish an interest-bearing trust fund or similar account in a depository approved by the Ohio athletic commission to be used for the deposit of all revenues received on behalf of an athlete.  An athlete agent shall deposit any revenue received on behalf of an athlete in the interest-bearing trust fund or account.  The athlete agent shall notify the commission of the address and location of the trust fund or account and the depository in which it is located.

(2) An athlete agent who is an attorney licensed to practice law in this state may deposit any revenue received on behalf of an athlete in a trust account already maintained by the agent attorney in a financial institution in this state for the deposit of revenue received on behalf of clients.

(C) No athlete agent shall share fees with any person other than an employee of the athlete agent.  If an athlete agent shares a fee with an employee, the athlete agent shall obtain written consent from the athlete prior to entering a fee agreement with the athlete.

(D) As used in divisions (D)(1) and (2) of this section, “name, image, or likeness” has the same meaning as in section 3376.01 of the Revised Code.  No athlete agent shall enter a fee agreement that requires the athlete to provide as consideration either of the following:

(1) Any compensation the athlete may earn after the athlete is no longer eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics for use of the athlete's name, image, or likeness;

(2) Rights associated with the use of the athlete's name, image, or likeness after the athlete is no longer eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics.

(E) No athlete agent shall enter fee agreements that are prohibited under this chapter.

(F) If an athlete agent collects a fee or expense from an athlete as consideration for obtaining employment for the athlete, and the athlete agent fails to procure such employment, the agent shall retain only the following portion of the fee or expense:

(1) The cost of reasonable expenses incurred by the athlete agent during the course of representing the athlete in efforts to obtain employment for the athlete;

(2) A negotiated fee in connection with instances where the athlete receives a bonus or some compensation for signing a professional sports services contract.

(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Ohio supreme court to establish or regulate fees for activities considered to be the practice of law.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Ohio Revised Code Title XLVII. Occupations Professions § 4771.12 - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/oh/title-xlvii-occupations-professions/oh-rev-code-sect-4771-12/

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