The House vs. NCAA settlement era is keeping all programs busy with a flurry of activities. NILs and their influence in college football needed some regulations, and they’re finally here. As they deliberate upon how to use the funding according to the sharing models, Ryan Days pulls a surprising move. The Buckeyes are a major player in the NIL era and also one of the heavyweight names in college football. Which is why this decision is quite a major one. The news comes at a time when Steve Sarkisian was rumored to have involved a colossal 40 million in Texas’ operations.
On June 9, OSU athletics announced the creation of Buckeye Sports Group. Essentially, this new group will combine the two Ohio State NIL collectives: The 1870 Society and THE Foundation. It will serve all 36 varsity sports offered by the institution. The main agenda here, according to a press release by OSU and Learfield, is to “support, streamline and enhance Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes.” OSU has a lot of flashy players, chief among them being star WR Jeremiah Smith. He currently holds an NIL valuation of $4 million.
Good stuff from Ohio State to strike quickly, bring the two existing collectives in under one umbrella, and really maximize its power in NIL. It’s always a good time to be a Buckeye athlete in the NIL era, but this should only increase the fruits of playing in Columbus. https://t.co/WrVQJQBJDf
— Dillon Davis (@DillonDavis56) June 9, 2025
This makes Ohio State a major power in the NIL era. Pooling the resources of these two collectives bolsters the NIL efforts at Columbus for the future. “We are committed to making Ohio State the premier destination for NIL success,” said Carey Hoyt, Deputy AD for OSU. NILs have proven to be a deciding factor when it comes to recruiting. Not long ago, Steve Sarkisian and Texas were rumored to house a roster that cost $35-40 million. But it was just a rumor, of course. The Longhorns HC joked on an appearance for College Sports on SiriusXM, “I wish I had $40 million on our roster. We’d probably be a little better team than we are.”
The settlement caps Ohio State’s football funds at $20.5 million. Ross Bjork, Buckeyes AD, said that $18 million from there will be going to the players, while the remainder will be used to add scholarship recruits. In this new era, it will be a little tough for both Texas and Ohio State to build rosters worthy of $40 million. But that isn’t stopping programs from devising strategy after strategy to make the most of their reserves.
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