"$20 million to lose to Michigan": CFB fans react to Ohio State AD’s $20,000,000 revelation

Ohio State University's Athletic Director, Ross Bjork, revealed its college football athletes received around $20 million from its donors and brand affiliations, per Yahoo Sports. This hefty investment comes from their massive $275 million athletic budget, primarily fueled by football revenue.

The news sparked a lively response from college football fans on X (formerly Twitter):

"$20 million to lose to Michigan and not make the playoffs," one fan tweeted.

"Michigan doesn’t have a chance against Ohio State this year. We’re worried about Oregon, boss," another fan wrote.

"State Revenue Departments waiting to apply the Jock Tax…," another tweeted.

"Not much ROI (return on investment) for that kind of money," one fan commented.

"Are there any sources to back up the claim that Ohio State has the largest NIL deals, or is this just your opinion? I’ve read Texas and Alabama are bigger," a fan questioned.

"CFB fans do not want to hear this info. Keep it quiet! It will do irreparable harm to the fandom," another fan tweeted.

Coach Ryan Day's Ohio State leads the nation in NIL spending, reflecting the university's significant financial commitment to its sports programs. Yahoo Sports asked Bjork if these spending levels would continue.

“It’s too early to predict,” he said [H/t YahooSports]. “How is it going to be broken down from a Title IX standpoint? The challenge is, we’re up against the clock. We’re signing athletes in football in December. We need some clarity sometime this fall.”

Bjork expects the current distribution model, which gives up to 90% to athletes in major men's sports, to guide future revenue sharing in this evolving landscape.

Big changes are coming to Ohio State University

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day with Ross Bjork (IMAGN)

A new NCAA settlement will allow Ohio State to pay its athletes directly in 2025. According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State is willing to share a portion of its money with players, with intentions to pay the maximum allowed—roughly $22 million each year.

With over 1,000 athletes across 36 varsity sports, figuring out fair distribution is key. Title IX, which ensures gender equity in sports, means payments must be proportional to the number of male and female athletes.

“We all are going to follow Title IX,” Bjork said. “It applies to our athletic programs, universities, all of those things. But this is a new pocket of financial aid or compensation, a new bucket that was not contemplated when only financial aid and just grant-in-aids were talked about in the original Title IX legislation.”

Deciding how much money goes to different sports is another hurdle. Football and men’s basketball, which bring in the most revenue, will likely get a significant portion to attract top talent.

The university is committed to following Title IX and ensuring fair distribution, but the exact details are still being worked out.