The Ohio State football program has faced a lot of backlash for how it has handled NIL. Ross Bjork has gotten the bulk of the criticism, as he seems afraid to spend money to grab the best recruits in the country. It was a massive issue when the Transfer Portal was open, as well.
Bjork was hired because he advocated for NIL. He currently thinks that there should be no cap on NIL funds. The way that the NCAA handles things right now, there basically is no cap. Yet, Ohio State tries to claim that they don't have enough money to pay for things.
A recent announcement from the Ohio State Buckeyes shows that no one associated with the program should ever complain about a lack of money ever again. They were the program that had the most revenue when it came to what the football program brought in.
The Ohio State athletic department brought the most revenue in the country
According to Eleven Warriors, the athletic department brought in a school-record $336.1 million in 2025. They also finished the year with a $15.7 million surplus after finishing 2024 with a $38 million deficit. It's pretty clear that the Buckeyes are not hurting for money.
Of course, the revenue that the Buckeyes bring in is different than the money they have earmarked for NIL. That doesn't mean that they can't help pay some recruits using revenue-sharing, especially since the NCAA doesn't seem to have any true rules that they are enforcing.
Bjork will continue to get criticized until he starts using the money the university has in a smart way. Despite the massive surplus, Bjrok decided to cut some scholarships from non-revenue-generating sports. Cutting scholarships is not something anyone wants to see.
As far as Ohio State football is concerned, the Buckeyes will try to figure out a way to use the money they have more efficiently.