With a federal judge’s approval of the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, the Ohio State Athletics Department is rolling out a massive $38.5 million revenue-sharing plan to compensate athletes directly.
Experts believe this move may result in a massive shift in how student-athletes are valued. With this leading move from the Buckeyes program, how will this decision affect other universities and the way they divide revenue sharing?
Ohio State’s $38.5 Million Plan May Change Athlete Valuation in College Athletics
Last week, on Thursday, June 12, Ohio State Athletics Director Ross Bjork announced the university’s plan to distribute $20.5 million annually in revenue-shared funds, with an additional $18 million in institutional NIL dollars for the upcoming season and an extra $2.5 million for scholarships.
As reported by Eleven Warriors editor Dan Hope on X, these funds will focus on four sports: football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball. “We will allocate the $18 million starting in four sports,” Bjork said during a press conference. “Those are the four sports that we will start with. We hope we can grow that.”
Ross Bjork says Ohio State will start revenue sharing with four sports: Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball.
Ohio State’s 91 new scholarships across all sports will count toward the $20.5 million cap. The other $18 million will go to those sports.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) June 12, 2025
Of the $20.5 million cap, $2.5 million will support 91 new scholarships across all 36 Ohio State sports, ensuring broad program investment. The remaining $18 million will be distributed among the four designated sports, guided by metrics and a commitment to Title IX balance.
Bjork didn’t say much about the exact split, only saying, “Numbers create narratives.”
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To navigate this new landscape, Ohio State launched the Buckeye Sports Group, a strategic hub to improve and polish NIL opportunities. Announced Monday, the group will consolidate existing NIL collectives like THE Foundation and The 1870 Society under a unified marketing team.
Using Learfield’s Compass NIL technology, it will facilitate brand deals, create content, and provide support services for athletes.
The initiative is taken to further Ohio State’s proactive approach to athlete empowerment, making sure players in football, basketball, and volleyball can maximize their earning potential while maintaining academic and competitive focus.
Ohio State’s $38.5 million plan reflects its ambition to remain a big name in college athletics by making itself more lucrative to top prospects by ensuring that they will earn the top money if they play for it.
This initiative can be the catalyst for a massive change to the College Sports landscape, as other colleges can also present their revenue-sharing plans to remain competitive.
