The Ohio State football program has changed a lot over the last few years. Ohio Stadium now has an on-field sponsor. The Shoe will have luxury seating right at field-level. Both scoreboards in the stadium are about to be renovated. Ross Bjork has overseen most of those changes.
With the introduction of NIL funds into college athletics, the Buckeyes have tried to find new ways of generating revenue. Bigger expenditures on players, coaches, and facilities mean that the Ohio State Buckeyes need to generate more money. That's how they compete for championships.
Bjork has commercialized the Ohio State football program quite a bit since being hired as athletic director. He has now found a way to do it even further after a recent NCAA rule change. He is looking for a sponsor to bring in so they can sell patches on the football uniforms.
Ohio State football program looking for jersey patch sponsors
While appearing on the Buckeye Talk Podcast, Bjork revealed that he is looking for a local sponsor to fork up some cash to advertise on Ohio State's jerseys. This comes after the NCAA allowed teams to put a patch on their jerseys moving forward.
"We are pursuing a jersey patch, you know, partner. It's Ohio State. There is demand from companies who would love to partner with us."
This isn't even a bad thing. In fact, this is something Bjork should do. He should find one of the biggest companies headquartered in Columbus to partner with. The Bigger the company, the bigger the check they will cut to the football program for the jersey patches.
Commercialization is part of college football more now than it has ever been. The Buckeyes are just growing with the times and navigating through them the best way they can, so they can be at the top of the college football world. Bjork will likely find a partner by the time next season starts.