The Ohio State football team spent around $20 million in NIL money last season. Michigan fans kept making jokes about it being the best team money can buy. While the NIL money certainly helped, it wasn't the sole reason why they ended up winning the national championship.
Ohio State spent money in the right places at the right spots. That is what helped the team come together in a way that allowed them to win their first national title since 2014. Now the Buckeyes have increased their budget because that's the way the sport is headed.
People fail to remember that the Buckeyes didn't even spend the most NIL money last season. Both Texas and Oregon spent more money on their rosters than the Ohio State Buckeyes did. What might their NIL budget be this season, coming off a national title?
What the Ohio State football team's NIL budget might be this season
The Buckeyes are likely going to increase their spending a bit from last season, despite the fact that the athletic department was severely in debt last year. The NIL funds come via the collectives that have partnerships with the university, so the Buckeyes can up their spending.
Expect Ohio State to spend anywhere from $22-$25 million this year. That includes players for the current roster and recruits for the 2026 class. That is a slight bump up from where they were a year ago, but spending is likely to increase every year until an NIL cap is put in by the NCAA.
When the House settlement is ultimately approved, that might change how much money the Buckeyes spend on their roster. That's when we might see spending start to go down. When they are able to get players like Jeremiah Smith, they'll keep feeding money to the roster, because that's what wins championships now.