Ohio State Football: It’s easy for Gene Smith to not schedule California schools

Ohio State AD Gene Smith said the Buckeyes won’t play California schools if a bill passes to allow their athletes to make money. That’s easy to say.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is looking at a bill that would make it easier for college athletes in California to make money from their name, image and likeness.

The NCAA sent a letter to Newsom saying that if the bill becomes a law that it “would result in (schools) being unable to compete in NCAA competitions” and would be “unconstitutional,” according to USA Today.

Then USA Today published a story yesterday that Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said this:

"“If the California law goes into effect in ’23,” Smith said to USA Today. “and let’s say the NCAA legislation, how ever it emerges, doesn’t quite meet what California wants it to be and they continue to hold that law, who’s going to play (California schools)? We’re certainly not. They won’t be members of the NCAA. I think that’s going to be the problem.”"

That could possibly be temporary as Smith is co-chairman of a group that was appointed in May to examine the issue of athlete name, image and likeness, but either way it is extremely easy for him to say that Ohio State won’t play California schools.

Now I was only a journalism major, so I might not understand the legality of everything but lets look at the California schools on the field and on the court, specifically in the big money-makers – football and basketball.

Let’s start in football. California only has seven FBS schools in its state including: the California Golden Bears, the Fresno State Bulldogs, the San Diego State Aztecs, the San Jose State Spartans, the Stanford Cardinals, the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans.

The best football schools of those seven are Stanford, USC, UCLA, and California. Guess what? None of them have made the College Football Playoff.

USC’s last national title was 15 years ago n 2004, Stanford hasn’t won a natty since 1940, UCLA hasn’t won one since 1954 and California hasn’t won one since 1937.

The Buckeyes would most likely not have to play any of these teams in the College Football Playoff and can easily not schedule them in the regular season and be just fine.

Now, let’s look at basketball.

The best college basketball teams in California are the schools mentioned above as well as the San Diego State Aztecs.

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UCLA used to be a powerhouse program, but they haven’t been to a Final Four or Elite Eight in over a decade. USC hasn’t made a Sweet 16 since 2007, Stanford made the Sweet 16 in 2014 but hasn’t made the Elite Eight since 2001 or a Final Four since 1998 and California hasn’t made a Sweet 16 since 1997.

Additionally, San Diego State made a Sweet 16 in 2014 but has never made it further.

I know that the NCAA would probably step in and possibly keep these teams from even competing in the NCAA tournament, but my point is that none of these schools are huge college basketball powerhouses anymore. The Buckeyes don’t need to play any of these teams.

It will be interesting to see what happens here. If the bill becomes a law what will the NCAA do? All I do know is that no programs will be significantly hurt if they don’t play California schools and that’s why Smith and the Buckeyes can easily get by with not scheduling them.