The Ohio State football program spent $20 million on its roster last season. It was a figure that was repeated over and over again as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship. Most of that NIL money was used to retain guys who were already on the roster.
This year, fans have been clamoring for the Ohio State Buckeyes to spend more on NIL, especially with things moving in-house. Instead of spending less, fans want them to spend more. Now, there is an alleged figure floating around out there on what Ohio State is spending this year.
Allegedly, the Buckeyes are spending close to $35 million on the roster this season. I say allegedly because it's almost impossible to pin down an exact figure on how NIL is still being reported. Who knows what the actual amount is? That hasn't stopped other fan bases from talking about it.
The Ohio State football program is allegedly spending $35 million on its roster for 2025
If Ohio State is indeed spending $35 million on its roster for this season, 80% of that is to keep guys on the current roster. That money is being used to keep Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, and others to give themselves a chance at repeating as national champions.
A little bit of that was used to get some transfers into the program, such as Max Klare. This figure also doesn't include additional money that they are using to bring in recruits from future recruiting classes, meaning that the Buckeyes are spending a ton of money before the NIL guardrails come on.
This kind of spending is always what college football purists were worried about. This is the kind of thing that can ruin the sport in the long run because it eliminates so many programs from having a prayer of making a run at a national championship.
Ohio State benefits from this world as long as it continues to get the funds from fans. If Ohio State handles everything in-house and doesn't allow outside NIL collectives to help fund the team, it could eventually run into some trouble.