Ohio State Announces ‘Buckeye Sports Group’

The landmark settlement in House v. NCAA has sent shockwaves through all of college sports, not just football. Now, schools can directly fund their athletes’ NIL with a cap of $20.5 per school spread out across all sports. Ohio State fields 36 intercollegiate sports, and it intends to continue to do so in the wake of this decision.

Ohio State’s Department of Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have announced the formation of Buckeye Sports Group. Learfield is Ohio State’s multimedia rights holder and provides partners with media opportunities. BSG is designed to support, streamline, and enhance the Buckeyes’ NIL.

Prior to the settlement, Ohio State had two major NIL collectives: THE Foundation and The 1870 Society. BSG will utilize both in an advisory capacity while consolidating the pair under a single, unified marketing team.

“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses, and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Athletics Director, said. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”

Ohio State Announces ‘Buckeye Sports Group’ Amid House Decision

Key Elements

An interesting but key element of the settlement and “salary cap” is the implementation of what they call a Fair Market Evaluation process and a “range of compensation.” Ideally, this will establish benchmarks across sports regarding NIL. BSG will handle brand deals, corporate sponsorships, storytelling, and NIL support. Already, Buckeye athletes have secured over 500 NIL brand partnerships. 

“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Carey Hoyt, Ohio State’s Deputy Director of Athletics. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”

NIL Strategy

According to the press release, BSG will support Ohio State’s student-athletes with comprehensive efforts within three key areas: deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling, and support services.

• NIL Deal Facilitation & Management
  • Negotiating and securing brand partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally;
  • Overseeing contract preparation and fair market value assessments;
  • Utilizing analytics to track NIL performance and return on investment.
• Content Creation & Student-Athlete Storytelling, powered by Learfield Studios
  • Creating athlete-driven digital content, including social media campaigns, video series, and podcasts;
  • Leveraging Learfield’s Fanbase data and digital expertise to optimize distribution across social media and digital channels.
  • Providing marketing resources for brand collaborations to maximize results, including the use of Ohio State marks, logos, and access to campus facilities;
• Athlete Support & Services
  • Providing financial literacy and tax support through partnerships with industry experts;
  • Offering branding and social media growth training to help athletes build their personal brands.
  • Connecting student-athletes with brand partners to provide business experience, micro-internships, and build professional networking relationships with companies.

Read More: Does The Big Ten ‘Deserve’ Multiple AQs in the CFP?

 A Whole New World

The House decision, like most of the changes to college football, benefits Ohio State in a way. Compared to the rest of the schools in Ohio, the Buckeyes are set to not only survive in the ever-changing landscape, but it is built to thrive.

The Buckeye Sports Group partnership looks to maximize the earning potential of student-athletes. This looks to strengthen Ohio State’s already strong brand value. Additionally, it aims to create a sustainable NIL ecosystem that benefits the university, athletes, and brands equally.

Todd Kinsley, Vice President and General Manager of Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties, provided a statement: “As we enter a new era for college athletics, we’re excited to build on our past successes and create even more meaningful NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes. Buckeyes have excelled both on and off the field, and we’re committed to amplifying that momentum. We also recognize the unique potential of our footprint in Columbus, one of the fastest-growing metro markets, for impactful deal-making. With the strength of Buckeye Nation behind us, we’re able to unlock incremental opportunities for partnerships on a local, regional, and national scale.”

Much was made of Ohio State’s alleged $20 million roster that won the national championship last year. While we may not know the actual, concrete number because online reporting has been more speculation than reporting, Ohio State had one of the most expensive rosters in the nation. Other schools reportedly spent more, but it’s moot at this point.

Will the deals be public knowledge under this new system? Will we be able to see an actual, tangible number? Time will tell. Regardless, with the swiftness of this announcement, it’s obvious that Ohio State was preparing for this brand-new world in which it finds itself.

Main Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images