Ohio Public School Students Gain New Opportunities to Play Sports Under New State Law

High school athletes attending Ohio public schools will have additional opportunities to compete during the 2026-27 school year following the implementation of the state’s new Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) notified member schools that the new law, officially codified as Ohio Revised Code 3313.5321, expands participation opportunities for certain public school students whose schools do not sponsor a particular sport.

The law takes effect for the 2026-27 school year and supersedes an OHSAA membership vote on the issue held earlier this year.

What the New Law Allows

Under the SAM Act, a student attending a public high school may petition to participate in a sport at a neighboring public school if the student’s own school does not offer that sport. However, OHSAA officials emphasized that the law is not an open-enrollment policy for athletics and includes several important restrictions.

Among the key provisions:

• The law applies only to students attending public high schools.
• The student’s school of attendance must not offer the sport the student wishes to play.
• Students may only seek participation at a neighboring public school, as defined by state law.
• Participation requires approval from both school superintendents — the superintendent of the student’s school of attendance and the superintendent of the receiving school.
• If either superintendent denies the request, the student is not eligible to participate at the neighboring school.

The legislation does not apply to students enrolled in OHSAA member schools serving grades 7-8.

Schools Can Combine Teams

The law also allows schools to combine teams if each school does not have enough athletes to field a team on their own. Not having enough players is defined as not having the minimum numbers to occupy each position on the field or court, plus half that number available to fill the bench, rounded up to the next whole number. For example, a baseball team would be considered to not have enough players if it had less than 14 players.

Additional Rules for Multi-High School Districts

Students attending school districts with multiple high schools face an additional step before seeking participation elsewhere.

Those students must first petition to participate at another high school within their own district. Only after completing that process may they request to participate at a neighboring public school, with approval still required from both superintendents.

Student Eligibility Requirements Remain the Same

Students participating under the SAM Act will still be expected to meet all of the same standards required of other student-athletes. These include:

• Academic eligibility requirements.
• Nonacademic eligibility requirements.
• Financial requirements.
• Any team tryouts or roster selection procedures established by the school.

The new law changes where an eligible student may participate, but it does not waive any existing participation standards.

No OHSAA Filing Required

Schools reaching an agreement under the new law are not required to submit paperwork to the OHSAA.

To assist member schools, however, the association has created a superintendent agreement template along with guidance and business rules to help districts implement the legislation consistently.

Other Participation Options Remain Available

The OHSAA’s updated eligibility guidance also outlines participation options for several other groups, including:

• Students attending non-public schools.
• Community school students.
• Traditionally home-schooled students.
• Public school ice hockey players, who continue to have separate participation provisions under Ohio law.

School administrators with questions about the new participation options are encouraged to contact the OHSAA Eligibility Department as districts prepare for the start of the 2026-27 school year.