Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

On the Gridiron

Athletics and Learfield Launch Buckeye Sports Group

Ohio State Athletics

OSU announces creation of in-house NIL entity

Bill Rabinowitz, Adam Jardy, and Joey Kaufman; Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State, Learfield launch Buckeye Sports Group to enhance NIL opportunities

Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Defensive Back Interceptions in the NFL — By College (2000-2024) pic.twitter.com/kDOhhIFfCY — Deeg (@DeegSports) June 9, 2025

Bjork outlines OSU’s revenue sharing plans after settlement approval

Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Ross Bjork, Buckeyes clearly prepared for House settlement

Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes

Ross Bjork Says Ohio State Will Fully Fund Its Revenue-Sharing Program, Maintain 36 Varsity Sports Following House Settlement

Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors

What Does The House Settlement Mean For Ohio State?

Tony Gerdeman, Buckeye Huddle

Everything we know about impact of NCAA settlement on OSU athletics

Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Most Telling Stat: Ohio State’s red zone defense was pivotal in national title run

Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood

New Basketball Court Coming Soon!

Ohio State Athletics

Outside the Shoe and Schott

Track & Field: Buckeyes Set for NCAA Championships This Weekend

Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different…

This is a while catch…

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

Report: Penn State, UCLA ink PE deals with Elevate…Populous to design 76ers/Comcast Spectacor arena…Colts announce ownership transition details.

Penn State, UCLA deny taking first private capital deals with Elevate Penn State and UCLA are “making college sports history” by being the first two athletic departments to take on private capital. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images UCLA AD Martin Jarmond said that the school has “not agreed to a P-E partnership with Elevate.” Jarmond noted Elevate is a “current ticketing partner of UCLA Athletics.” Jarmond: “We are exploring the opportunity to expand the partnership, but private equity funding is not involved” (X, 6/9). Penn State AD Pat Kraft also “denies the school has agreed to P-E.” Kraft noted Elevate “serves as our partner in ticketing strategy and operations,” but the “relationship is strictly limited to these services.” Kraft: “We have no affiliation or involvement with any private equity firm or fund” (X, 6/9). Elevate CEO Al Guido said in a statement the company is “proud to maintain longstanding relationships with both UCLA and Penn State” in ticketing operations and strategy, and added the partnerships were established “prior to the launch of the initiative and are reflective of our broader commitment to supporting the long-term success of collegiate athletic programs” (SBJ). Earlier in the day, it was reported that Penn State and UCLA were the “first two clients” of Elevate’s $500M college private capital fund — signing eight-figure deals with the College Investment Initiative, according to sources (ON3, 6/9). Schools would use the capital “for infrastructure and commercial projects ranging from modernizing venues, expanding premium seating and enhancing multimedia and digital rights and to investing in name, image and likeness platforms for athletes” (CNBC.com, 6/9).

Populous won RFP to design new 76ers/Comcast Spectacor arena The 50-50-owned Sixers and Comcast Spectacor arena will be built just north of the existing Xfinity Mobile Arena as part of a major redevelopment of the Philly Sports Complex’s northwest corner. Google Earth Pro Populous is designing the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor’s proposed jointly owned arena in the South Philly Sports Complex, the NBA team confirmed to SBJ. Gensler produced the original conceptual design and widely publicized renderings for the Sixers’ downtown arena. But Populous, bidding alongside Moody Nolan, won an RFP process that took place roughly a year ago to design the Sixers’ downtown arena project and was kept on when the team switched tracks in January to developing a new jointly owned venue with Comcast Spectacor near the existing Xfinity Mobile Arena (until recently known as Wells Fargo Center and owned, along with the Flyers, by Comcast Spectacor). “With our background and history with arena design throughout the US, a deep bench in terms of experience in that area of the industry but also thinking about experience driven design, I think that really connected with the Sixers and the Flyers,” said Populous Managing Director of the Americas Jonathan Mallie. Moody Nolan, which has a sizable presence in Philadelphia, will serve as the arena project’s associate architecture firm. The target is to have the arena, which will be home to both teams, ready by the 2031 NBA and NHL seasons. Mallie said to look for a conceptual design to be released in “the coming months.” Read More >>>

Colts announce ownership transition details Carlie Irsay-Gordon will serve as the team’s principal owner and CEO. RICK OSTENTOSKI The Colts today announced details on the transition of team ownership from late owner & CEO Jim Irsay to his daughters — Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson. With the transition, which was pursuant to longstanding plans set forth by Irsay, Irsay-Gordon will become owner & CEO. In this role, she will serve as the team’s principal owner, but all three sisters will share leadership duties for the club. Foyt will become owner & EVP. Jackson will become owner & Chief Brand Officer and President of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation (Colts).

New men’s hoops event in Charlotte to honor Vitale The annual Dick Vitale Invitational will honor the ESPN college basketball analyst and HOF broadcaster. Getty Images ESPN Events, in collaboration with the Charlotte Sports Foundation, is launching a new men’s college basketball event this season that will annually honor ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale. The inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational will feature a matchup between Texas and Duke at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Nov. 4 on ESPN. The tip-off time will be announced at a later date. In addition to the ESPN Events plans, ESPN has signed Vitale to a new multiyear contract through the 2027–28 season, which will extend his tenure with the company to nearly 50 years. Since joining ESPN during its first year in 1979, Vitale has called more than 1,000 games, been inducted into the Basketball and Sports Broadcasting HOFs and most recently received the Dean Smith Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. ESPN has previously teamed with the Charlotte Sports Foundation for the Jumpman Invitational and Ally Tipoff basketball events (ESPN).

DBH acquires Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals The franchise will remain in Fredericksburg and continue as the Nationals’ Single-A affiliate following the transaction. Diamond Baseball Holdings Diamond Baseball Holdings has acquired the Fredericksburg Nationals, the Single-A affiliate of the Nationals. The franchise will remain in Fredericksburg and continue as the Nationals’ affiliate following the transaction. DBH now has 44 minor-league baseball teams in its portfolio. This marks DBH’s second Nationals’ affiliate purchase, with Fredericksburg joining the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. Fredericksburg had been owned by the Silber family. Seth Silber will remain with the franchise as president and a minority shareholder. DBH will also retain the FredNats’ existing front office staff, led by GM Robert Perry. The FredNats have ranked in the top-five in Single-A attendance since the team’s arrival in 2021.

Ohio State, Learfield launch NIL support initiative Ohio State Athletics and Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties have formed Buckeye Sports Group, an initiative designed to support NIL opportunities for OSU athletes. BSG will have access to Learfield’s Compass NIL technology to facilitate deal transactions and gain insights into athlete interests that foster brand connections. BSG will support OSU athletes in three areas: deal facilitation and management; content creation and storytelling; and support services. BSG also will work to consolidate existing NIL collectives under a single marketing team. The founding members of THE Foundation and The 1870 Society will serve in an advisory capacity to BSG. Re-occurring donations and subscriptions made to THE Foundation will continue to support Ohio State Athletics (Learfield).

Iowa hires former NFL exec Pioli as FB consultant The Univ. of Iowa athletic department has hired former NFL exec Scott Pioli (l) as a “consultant to help the football program transition into a new financial model.” Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Univ. of Iowa athletic department has hired former NFL exec Scott Pioli as a “consultant to help the football program transition into a new financial model” in the wake of the landmark House settlement getting approved last week. Pioli has attended Iowa football practices and was “retained last fall in preparation for the athletic department sharing revenue with Iowa athletes.” Pioli — who has worked in exec roles with the Patriots, Chiefs and Falcons over the past 20-plus years — will continue to work with all of Iowa’s programs, but his “expertise lies with football.” In addition to bringing on Pioli, Iowa has “established a cap management structure” that includes GMs “for each sport.” Marcus Wilson will serve as Exec Senior Associate AD for “cap management and administration,” while Scott Brickman, the department’s GM for NIL & Strategy, “will review and approve all agreements” through a partnership with Altius Sports Partners (THE ATHLETIC, 6/9). Meanwhile, the Univ. of Hawaii has named Clippers G Patty Mills as the basketball program’s GM. In this newly created role, Mills will support student-athlete mentorship and development, while contributing to key areas including recruiting, fundraising and community engagement. Mills is a longtime resident of Hawaii, and his ties to Hawaii basketball run deep. In 2022, he sponsored the North Shore Classic, a four-team tournament hosted at the Cannon Activities Center in Laie (Univ. of Hawaii).

Report: Hawks add two NBA execs to front office The Hawks are adding Pelicans GM Bryson Graham as SVP/Basketball Operations and 76ers EVP/Basketball Operations Peter Dinwiddie as SVP/Strategy & Analytics. NBAE via Getty Images The Hawks and new GM Onsi Saleh are “finalizing deals” to hire Pelicans GM Bryson Graham as the team’s SVP/Basketball Operations and 76ers EVP/Basketball Operations Peter Dinwiddie as SVP/Strategy & Analytics. Sources said that Graham and Dinwiddie will report to Saleh “as part of the new front office structure.” Graham, who was named Pelicans GM last June, leaves after 15 years with the team. Dinwiddie, known as a “well-respected executive throughout the NBA,” has worked in the 76ers’ front office since 2020 after 14 seasons with the Pacers. Sources say that “any potential president hire for the Hawks will be made to complement Saleh and his staff” (ESPN.com, 6/9).

All Women’s Sports Network launches FAST channel All Women’s Sports Network unveiled a global content partnership with Paramount Global’s free, advertising-supported streaming TV (FAST) service Pluto TV. The goal is “‘to make women’s sports freely accessible to viewers globally’ via a FAST channel,” which has launched in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Nordics. The channel and all AWSN content are “exclusively available on Pluto TV across Canada, the U.K. and the Nordics.” Starting this month, AWSN also “airs Suncorp Super Netball from Australia.” AWSM is a global sports TV network dedicated to women’s sports co-founded by actor Whoopi Goldberg and Jungo TV (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/9).

Joe Hand Promotions, ESPN ink multiyear extension Joe Hand Promotions and ESPN signed a multiyear extension of their agreement for ESPN+ for Business, enlisting JHP to continue to provide a lineup of live sports programming to bars, restaurants, casinos, and other commercial venues nationwide. This renewed agreement covers seven sports channels across the ESPN+ for Business platform, with an average of nearly 200 live events per month — totaling more than 2,200 events annually. ESPN+ for Business programming highlights include: More than 400 college basketball games in 2024

At least 125 college football matchups

International soccer

30+ PGA Tour Live weekends annually

UFC Fight Nights

More than 50 exclusive NHL games

Broad college sports coverage (ESPN).

NACDA’s Pat Manak talks changes in college sports NACDA CEO Pat Manak discusses the atmosphere surrounding college sports with SBJ’s Ben Portnoy at NACDA 2025 in Orlando. The duo touch on the House settlement with the NCAA, on student-athletes as employees and how that impacts NACDA members.

This Week in History: ABC, AFL ink deal June 9, 1960 — ABC and the AFL sign a five-year broadcasting contract. The five-year TV deal with ABC brought in revenues of approximately $2,125,000 per year for the entire league. The deal called for ABC to broadcast approximately 37 regular season games, the AFL Championship Game and the AFL All-Star Game. ABC would go on to broadcast AFL games from the league’s first season in 1960 until the 1964 season, when NBC took over as the league’s primary network television broadcaster. Also happening this week: June 9, 1963 — The first Sunday night game in baseball sees the S.F. Giants lose to Houston Colts 3-0.

— The first Sunday night game in baseball sees the S.F. Giants lose to Houston Colts 3-0. June 10, 1956 — Equestrian events open in Stockholm ahead of the rest of the Summer Games taking place in Melbourne.

— Equestrian events open in Stockholm ahead of the rest of the Summer Games taking place in Melbourne. June 12. 1839 — The first baseball game is played in America.

— The first baseball game is played in America. June 12, 1939 — The Baseball HOF opens in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Speed Reads…

Chinese Gold Medal-winning skier Eileen Gu has joined Shaun White‘s The Snow League in a partnership deal (The Snow League).

U.S. Soccer announced the launch of a new podcast, “U.S. Soccer Podcast” hosted by David Gass with co-hosts Meghan Klingenberg and Alejandro Bedoya. The first episode will debut Wednesday, with new episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays at 11 am ET (U.S. Soccer).

TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson has joined ZERO Prostate Cancer in a partnership deal (ZERO Prostate Cancer).

FanDuel Sports Network Midwest announced a $25,000 donation from FanDuel to Cardinals Care for tornado relief efforts (FanDuel).

Major League Pickleball has relocated its previously scheduled event in D.C. on July 3-6 to N.Y. Branded MLP New York, the event will take place at Sportime Randall’s Island and include participation by MLP’s newly rebranded Brooklyn Pickleball Team (formerly D.C. Pickleball Team) (Major League Pickleball).

Sportswear company On has signed 16-year-old tennis player Julieta Pareja to a sponsorship deal (TENNIS, 6/9).

Around the World….

The 2025 men’s French Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcarez achieved its best audience for a men’s final since 2011 with an average viewership of 5.5 million viewers on France 2 and France 3 on Sunday afternoon. The women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday had an average of 3.15 million viewers (L’EQUIPE, 6/9).

The Organizing Committee of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is “set to present” at its last board meeting on June 17 accounts that report a €76M (US$86.9M) budget surplus (LE MONDE, 6/9).

IMG secured the rights to broadcast the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 competition on Sports 24, a live sports channel available on airlines and cruise ships (IMG).

UEFA confirmed that a spectator at the Nations League final in Munich “died after falling from the second tier of the main stand at Allianz Arena” yesterday (CBSSPORTS.com, 6/9).

Melbourne Racing Club has “suddenly removed” CEO Tom Reilly months after he “was appointed to the role” (Melbourne AGE, 6/9).

Quick Hits….

“My sense is some of the existing NBA cities and owners have an inside lane. But we’ll see. We’re interested for the long term” — Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, on the latest efforts to land a WNBA expansion team in Nashville (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/9).

Social Scoop….

Greg Sankey confirms he played golf with Pres. Donald Trump on Monday with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua.

“What was helpful for me, and for Pete as well, was to hear his thoughts and his perspectives, to share some of ours. I think those are best left for the moment on the golf… — Ben Portnoy (@bportnoy15) June 9, 2025

2026 World Cup host city leaders are convening in NYC today to discuss preparations with a year to go until the mega-event. Pictured here: moderator ⁦@rogbennett⁩, Meg Kane from Philly, Alex Lasry from NY/NJ and Mike Loynd from Boston. pic.twitter.com/Wc7k6cdnkb — Alex M. Silverman🏒⚽️ (@AlexMSilverman) June 9, 2025

Roman Anthony, the top prospect in baseball, has been called up to the Red Sox. From the man himself. pic.twitter.com/VwP5uBzyU4 — Katie Morrison-O’Day (@KatieMo61) June 9, 2025

“Empire Skate” tells the story of 1990’s New York City skate culture that inspired the global brand Supreme.

Watch on @ESPN on June 30 at 9pm ET | Streaming on ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ after 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ed8XPDmBP8 — 30 for 30 (@30for30) June 9, 2025

New City. Same Chaos. 👀#PowerSlap14 is headed to New Orleans July 18th ⚜️ 👋

[ Tickets available at link in bio 🎟️ ] pic.twitter.com/tUhHnjOc5t — Power Slap (@powerslap) June 9, 2025

#NASCAR … Ross Chastain’s car for Mexico being loaded into a hauler at Michigan pic.twitter.com/UWmXU0YLme — Dustin Long (@dustinlong) June 8, 2025

Daily Download….

HBO released the trailer for “Surviving Ohio State,” a documentary about the abuse scandal at Ohio State involving former OSU athletics physician Dr. Richard Strauss.

Daily Digit….