Ohio State players received 'around $20 million' in NIL, believed to be largest amount in college football

[BleedGopher]

Per CBS:

Ohio State football players received "around $20 million" in name, image and likeness (NIL) money from collectives and brand affiliates this past year, a number believed to be the highest in the sport, Ohio State AD Ross Bjork told Yahoo Sports. Ohio State athletes are required by the school to disclose their agreements within 30 days of receiving NIL compensation, which helps shed light on the total amount of money given to the athletes within the program.

The high-money investment should come as no surprise due to the high-end talent on the Buckeyes roster. Multiple players such as WR Emeka Egbuka, RB TreVeyon Henderson, DE Jack Swayer and CB Denzel Burke elected to bypass the NFL Draft to return to school for another season. Additionally, marquee transfers, such as former five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, Alabama star safety Caleb Downs, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins and Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, were brought in to shore up the roster.

The Buckeyes finished with the third-ranked recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, according to 247Sports, headlined by the addition of five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — the top-ranked player in his class. Ohio State's 2025 recruiting class is also tracking to be among the best in the country. The Buckeyes currently have the top-ranked recruiting class due to commitments from blue-chip recruits Tavien St. Clair, Devin Sanchez, Na'eem Offord, and more.

More money could be on the way thanks to the House v. NCAA settlement. Power Four programs will have the ability to distribute approximately $20 million annually to players through a new revenue-sharing initiative starting next fall. The amount of money distributed is expected to vary but will represent about 22% of the annual revenue generated by each school.

Ohio State players received 'around $20 million' in NIL, believed to be largest amount in college football

Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork revealed a jaw-dropping number for the team's NIL payouts

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Is there any validation to this / records requests that would reflect exactly what tOSU knows?

AD has every reason to talk this up... could be 100% true but NIL talk has been very "believed to be" kinda talk.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

Is there any validation to this / records requests that would reflect exactly what tOSU knows?

AD has every reason to talk this up... could be 100% true but NIL talk has been very "believed to be" kinda talk.

I don't think there's any verifiable public information on the amounts being paid. I believe that the schools collect information on who gets paid and for what, but that is mostly to be sure that the NIL deals don't violate the allowed subject matter. (For example, the University of Minnesota prohibits the promotion of alcohol.) Because it isn't the schools doling out the money, they don't have the right or the need to collect specific payment information and it really isn't the public's business what somebody is being paid. As you suggest, the ADs (and the athletes, coaches, agents, etc.) have reasons to inflate what the numbers are.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

Can someone explain the below, Thanks!

House v. NCAA settlement. Power Four programs will have the ability to distribute approximately $20 million annually to players through a new revenue-sharing initiative starting next fall.

 

[60's Guy]

Can someone explain the below, Thanks!

House v. NCAA settlement. Power Four programs will have the ability to distribute approximately $20 million annually to players through a new revenue-sharing initiative starting next fall.

If true, all the college "play makers" are going to get a substantial pay raise. So, say then the Gophers have $25 or $30 million to spend, but so do all the other top 50 schools, means more players getting "big" money.
Players benefit but schools are standing still.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I don't think there's any verifiable public information on the amounts being paid. I believe that the schools collect information on who gets paid and for what, but that is mostly to be sure that the NIL deals don't violate the allowed subject matter. (For example, the University of Minnesota prohibits the promotion of alcohol.) Because it isn't the schools doling out the money, they don't have the right or the need to collect specific payment information and it really isn't the public's business what somebody is being paid. As you suggest, the ADs (and the athletes, coaches, agents, etc.) have reasons to inflate what the numbers are.

Yeah it's all a mystery. I don't doubt there is a lot of money, but nobody seems to be validating and a lot of the people reporting have every reason to lie.

Last season On3 was tweeting out transfer portal entrants with these NIL evaluations. Duded, with some On3 NIL estimates of like $500k .... would end up transferring out of the FBS even... don't think they got that.

Kansas or Kansas St.... I forget who had sorties this spring where supposedly they supposedly paid some mediocre transfer $1m plus and finally folks were "uh no... I don't think so".

 

[60's Guy]

I don't think there's any verifiable public information on the amounts being paid. I believe that the schools collect information on who gets paid and for what, but that is mostly to be sure that the NIL deals don't violate the allowed subject matter. (For example, the University of Minnesota prohibits the promotion of alcohol.) Because it isn't the schools doling out the money, they don't have the right or the need to collect specific payment information and it really isn't the public's business what somebody is being paid. As you suggest, the ADs (and the athletes, coaches, agents, etc.) have reasons to inflate what the numbers are.

Except, the player or the agent (or the rival agent) aren't going to all just sit quietly by while somebody says you make more than you do. Taxes, relatives asking for money, lots of different reasons you don't want the number higher than it is an individual. Empty bragging rights would prove hollow.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

Except, the player or the agent (or the rival agent) aren't going to all just sit quietly by while somebody says you make more than you do. Taxes, relatives asking for money, lots of different reasons you don't want the number higher than it is an individual. Empty bragging rights would prove hollow.

The rival agent isn't going to know anything and is more likely to want the market artificially inflated for his or her own clients than to try to tear down somebody else. The IRS isn't going to care if your agent says "we secured NIL rights payments of $X for our clients last year" or your Auntie Mae thinks you can buy cousin Ned a Vespa because she heard you are rolling in cash from a collective. They care if you actually pay taxes on what you actually earn, not what the general public thinks you might have earned based on someone's social media post. Sure, some athletes may want to underplay what they make (which is just as inaccurate as overstating it), but the point remains that there isn't really any way to know the truth.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Great marketing effort from OSU. Definitely going to attend the informational seminar/free dinner.

Athletes at some schools are “required” to disclose any NIL deals over $600 to their schools and I believe this goes national Aug 1. The catch is the schools aren’t required to make the deals public and in fact claim under FERPA they cannot, because NIL deals are educational records. Or something. Whatever. The bottom line is the AD Bjork (90s alt flashback) has free agency to throw out a number that may or may not be in the zip code of reality. Who knows, might be true

 

[RememberMurray]

Sounds like the free market in all its unfettered glory.

No regulations, no restrictions. The Wild West.

 

[fmlizard]

In a few years this will be as quaint sounding as when they built Wrigley Field for $250K

 

[gopherphil]

If true who can compete?

 

[btowngopher]

I assume any money the schools are allowed to distribute would have to be provided equally amongst all athletes across all sports.