Which Ohio State sports will receive revenue-sharing payments in 2025-26?
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Which Ohio State sports will receive revenue-sharing payments in 2025-26?
Ohio State will begin paying athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness starting July 1st. The payments are part of a revenue-sharing model taking effect as a result of a historic settlement of three antitrust cases against the NCAA and major conferences. The athletic department will distribute about $18 million to athletes for NIL usage, with football and men’s basketball expected to receive the largest share. The impact of Title IX, the federal gender equity law, is expected to be more limited in revenue sharing after the U.S. Department of Education in February rolled back guidance requiring payments to be proportional among male and female athletes.
The payments are part of a revenue-sharing model stemming from a recent antitrust settlement with the NCAA.
The athletic department will distribute about $18 million to athletes for NIL usage, with football and men’s basketball expected to receive the largest share.
Ohio State will directly pay athletes playing for its football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams starting next month, athletic director Ross Bjork said.
“Those are the four we’ll start with,” Bjork said. “We hope we can expand.”
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The payments are part of a revenue-sharing model taking effect as a result of a historic settlement of three antitrust cases against the NCAA and major conferences. A federal judge approved the settlement last week, allowing the payments to begin on July 1.
The Buckeyes are poised to share the maximum allowable revenue, which is estimated to be about $20.5 million over the 2025-26 academic year with increases by percentage points over the next decade.
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As $2.5 million for the funding of additional scholarships across 36 varsity sports counts toward the school’s revenue share cap, Ohio State will be able to dedicate $18 million for paying athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness. The NIL deals struck between outside entities and athletes do not count against the cap.
“This is more opportunity for athletes than ever before,” Bjork said.
Bjork did not offer a breakdown of how the money would be divided among the Buckeyes’ four sports, but most is expected to end up going to football and men’s basketball, the highest revenue-generating sports for the athletic department.
According to financial records, football and men’s basketball were responsible for 95% of the department’s sport-specific revenue during the 2024 fiscal year.
In a previous interview with The Dispatch, Bjork said the Buckeyes were prioritizing paying athletes in the sports that maintain the highest market value and factored a variety of metrics to account for their popularity.
The impact of Title IX, the federal gender equity law, is expected to be more limited in revenue sharing after the U.S. Department of Education in February rolled back guidance requiring payments to be proportional among male and female athletes.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him atjkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along onBluesky,Instagram andX for more.
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