Does Ohio State Really Need $13 Million in NIL Deals?

According to Cleveland.com, Ohio State coach, Ryan Day, claims Ohio State needs $13 million through name, image, and likeness deals to maintain its football roster beyond next season. To put it into perspective, Ohio State athletes from all 36 varsity sports have earned $3.5 million in NIL deals over the 11 months. While that is the most out of any school in the country, it is nothing close to the $13 million Day stated.

What does Ryan Day mean by this? While the NCAA prohibits schools from using NIL deals as a way to recruit potential players, it has been clear that enforcement on this front has not been stern. Many institutions have been using the promise of NIL deals as a way to attract potential players, regardless of whether or not outsiders believe it falls under pay-for-play. Coach Ryan Day speculates that Ohio State student-athletes would be more likely to put their names in the transfer portal and be convinced by offers elsewhere if Ohio State does not obtain that $13 million in NIL deals.

What is Ohio State doing as a result? On June 6, Ohio State announced the NIL Corporate Ambassador Program in order to increase NIL involvement. While Ohio State has two collectives currently, THE Foundation and the Cohesive Foundation, this new program will set up partnerships for OSU athletes to serve as ambassadors for Columbus, Ohio companies. This initiative was created to connect Buckeye athletes with local businesses, and to encourage more companies to engage in these NIL deals with student-athletes. The athletes who participate will also receive professional development education.

This race for NIL deals is very prevalent in the college and high school sports world, and will only get more competitive without external regulation from the NCAA. Student-athletes are only ever one phone call and an attractive NIL offer away from transferring, which is the new reality. Although he is one of the first to put an actual cost on this concept, Ryan Day is undeniably not the only coach who fears the impact of NIL deals on swaying their roster. It won’t be long until these coaches become more outspoken and take action to ensure they can maintain their teams.

To learn more about NIL and certain Universities, check out the CleanKonnect NIL Certification Course.