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Key Ohio State administrator Diana Sabau leaving for Big Ten

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•03/15/21•

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Ohio State deputy athletic director Diana Sabau is headed to the Big Ten. (Birm/Lettermen Row)

COLUMBUS — A notable behind-the-scenes figure in Ohio State athletics is moving on from the program.

Senior deputy athletic director Diana Sabau has accepted a position in the Big Ten office. Announced Monday in a Big Ten news release, Sabau will be the conference’s deputy commissioner and chief sports officer beginning May 1.

In the position, she will oversee the administration of all 28 sponsored varsity sports. Sabau’s tasked with supervising sport administrators in football, basketball, hockey Olympic sports and officiating. The role of chief sports officer is the first of its kind in the Big Ten, making her the first to ever hold the position in the 125-year history of the conference.

Among her many critical achievements to help keep Ohio State rolling after taking a larger role with the football team in 2017, Sabau was crucial in securing the 2027 and 2028 home-and-home series with Alabama. Along with Buckeyes athletic director Gene Smith, Sabau helped secure nonconference games with  Texas, Washington and Notre Dame over the next decade.

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Ohio State deputy athletic director Diana Sabau was key in building schedules. (Birm/Lettermen Row)

Still, reeling in Alabama to make a trip to the Horseshoe will stand out from her time in Columbus. Those games will arguably be the must-watch game of the year in both seasons, with huge College Football Playoff implications.

She spent four years as the senior administrator for football, too, as the program won four straight Big Ten titles, participate in the CFP and made a switch in head coaches.

“During Diana’s tenure at The Ohio State University she evolved into an excellent administrator with unique talents and skills that cannot be replaced,” Ohio State director of athletics Gene Smith said in the Big Ten’s release. “She enjoyed a diversity of experiences that afforded her the ability to be exceptional in so many areas. Her service at OSU was more than as a steward; her passion and commitment to excellence were stellar.”

Sabau played a role in securing branding and partnership agreements with Nike, Gatorade, Coke and Learfield IMG. She helped bring ESPN’s College Gameday to Ohio State’s campus multiple times, too..

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