Ohio State AD projects football roster cost ‘around $20 million’ in NIL money

Ohio State brought back an impressive amount of talent and brought in a handful of the best players from the transfer portal ahead of the 2024 season, but it certainly came with a cost.

Buckeyes players received “around $20 million” from the school’s name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives and brand affiliates over the past year, Ohio State’s athletic director Ross Bjork told Yahoo Sports. The money given to student-athletes through collectives and brand affiliates is typically raised by the school’s donors. 

That $20 million figure is believed to be the most NIL money paid out over the past year, according to Yahoo Sports. Not all NIL deals with student-athletes are made public. However, Ohio State requires its student-athletes to disclose any NIL agreement within 30 days of receiving compensation.