Athletic Director Ross Bjork pens open letter to Buckeye Nation

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is expecting to be a leader in the college athletics space moving into the next era of college football and all athletics.

With revenue sharing on the horizon, questions about the future of NIL and scholarship reductions to even the biggest athletic departments in America, Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork penned an open letter to Ohio State fans, boosters, supporters and the rest of ‘Buckeye Nation’ to address the future of Ohio State.

Subjects discussed in the open letter included revenue sharing, the future of NIL and the direct $20 million in payments, the House settlement, roster limits, scholarship funding and even shifting the rifle team from co-ed to women’s only beginning in 2029.

“The intercollegiate athletics landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation,” Bjork said in a statement about the open letter. “And through this change, it is our goal to continue the tradition of supporting 36 teams, prioritizing academics, winning and maximizing the student-athlete experience on and off the playing fields.”  

The full open letter can be found below.

Here’s the open letter Bjork penned to Ohio State fans, boosters, supporters and all of Buckeye Nation:

As your new Sr. Vice President and Wolfe Foundation – Eugene Smith Endowed Director of Athletics, I want to take a moment and personally reach out to everyone within Buckeye Nation. Since I arrived in Columbus in early March, and officially transitioned to the role on July 1, I have been truly amazed at the spirit, passion, breadth, and scale of our student body, fans and supporters. I have seen firsthand the power of the Ohio State brand and gained a deep appreciation for responsibility to uphold our core values and grow upon our strengths each and every day. As we begin the transition period for this new era of intercollegiate athletics here at THE Ohio State University, we must collectively harness and direct all of our assets so we can continue to lead and maximize our full potential.

I believe that strategic leadership alignment is essential to long term success. We appreciate the support of The Ohio State University Board of Trustee Athletics Committee as we navigate the evolution of our program. Further, President Carter has announced his new strategic plan entitled, Education for Citizenship 2035, and he emphatically stated that Collegiate Athletics is one of the six themes of the new strategic plan. We are grateful to work alongside the Board of Trustees and President Carter and we appreciate their vision, leadership, and support as we move forward together. 

A central purpose of my first open letter to Buckeye Nation is to keep you informed of important developments related to the future model of college athletics and specifically the class action lawsuit known as House vs. NCAA. Recently, the U.S. District Court issued preliminary approval of the settlement agreement, with a final decision scheduled for April 7, 2025. Once finalized, this landmark settlement will reshape collegiate athletics and bring much needed clarity, not only for Ohio State but also our peers in the Big Ten and across NCAA Division I.

When the settlement is approved, here are the key changes that will go into effect July 1, 2025:

• Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Payments also referred to as “revenue sharing” for student-athletes: Ohio State University will be permitted to directly compensate student-athletes through NIL licensing agreements, anticipated to be $20.5 million in 2025-26. This new allocation of our department’s resources will increase annually by at least 4%. Previously, student-athletes could only receive scholarships and be compensated for NIL agreements supported by external entities.
• Roster and Scholarship Adjustments: New NCAA roster limits will set a cap on the number of athletes eligible for each team, and programs will now be permitted to fund as many scholarships as there are roster spots.
• NIL Backpay for Eligible Athletes: All Division I athletes who participated in collegiate sports between 2016 and 2024 are eligible for backpay for NIL earnings.

With support from President Carter, and our Board of Trustees, we are committed to maintaining 36 intercollegiate sports and athletic scholarships for all 36 programs, while also fully funding the $20.5 million dollars of direct payments to student-athletes. After a thorough review of factors such as Title IX compliance, national and conference sport sponsorship trends, our history of competitive success, and a sound fiscal plan, we are excited to announce the addition of 91 new scholarships across both women’s and men’s sports. We firmly believe this new investment will allow our programs to continue to compete for and win championships and keep excellence at the forefront of our mission.

As I continue to meet as many Buckeyes as possible, I have been asked many times, “How can we help?” or “What do you need from us?”. To support these increased costs to our department and enhance the Circle of Care that surrounds each student-athlete with dedicated resources for their academic, athletic, and personal growth, we are actively reviewing a range of initiatives where all of Buckeye Nation can continue to stay invested or create new opportunities to be involved. They include but are not limited to: strengthen and expand the Buckeye Club and Champions Fund as the philanthropic arm of Ohio State Athletics, a revised football season ticket plan for 2025 season that meets the needs for as many Buckeye fans as possible, increasing corporate sponsorships, including new NIL agreements with student-athletes and naming opportunities across our athletics facilities, new strategic initiatives around licensing/branding relationships, continuing to enhance our facilities with the next phase of the athletics district, a combined men’s and women’s ice arena, Woody Hayes Athletics Complex, and several imminent upgrades at Ohio Stadium. 

We will also continue to work diligently to further reduce operating expenses while uncovering many of the new revenue sources that fit Ohio State traditional values. We are committed to being extremely innovative and creative amid these changes to the collegiate sports model. During these times of immense change, we have an opportunity to show the world what it means to be a Buckeye and lead the way into the future. 

To ensure the long-term success of our athletic programs, we are asking for the commitment and support of everyone who is part of Buckeye Nation. We will be sharing additional correspondence that will highlight the various ways in which you can help support your Buckeyes and together, we will preserve and enhance the proud legacy of Ohio State Athletics.

Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for THE Ohio State University.

Go Buckeyes!