Eleven Warriors had the chance to interview Ross Bjork on Monday, and there was plenty to ask Ohio State’s athletic director about.
After a chaotic transfer portal season in January, we asked Bjork how he would change the college football calendar and how he believes Ohio State should build its roster going forward.
In addition to sharing his thoughts on why he thinks roster-building season should be separate from playing season and why Ohio State should never stop recruiting the top high school players in the country, Bjork also discussed why he thinks the College Football Playoff should continue to expand, why Ohio State has no plans to cancel its marquee non-conference matchups with Alabama and Georgia and the financial commitment required to compete for national championships in football while also chasing success in 35 other sports.
Bjork also explained what he thinks the expectations should be for Ohio State basketball – and it’s more than just making the NCAA Tournament – and the plans for building a new ice rink for Ohio State’s hockey programs.
Finally, we learned a little more about Bjork outside of being an athletic director by asking him about his favorite restaurants in Columbus, his favorite bourbons and what sports he watches when he’s not at a Buckeye game.
The full rundown of our interview with Bjork, which you can watch in the video at the top of the page:
- 0:00 Bjork’s Thoughts on the 2025 Ohio State Football Season and 2026 Transfer Portal
- 3:24 How Bjork Thinks the College Football Calendar Should Change
- 9:51 How Bjork Thinks Ohio State Should Balance Transfer Portal vs. Recruiting
- 12:44 Why Stronger Governance Around Eligibility Is Necessary for College Sports
- 16:28 Why Bjork Thinks the College Football Playoff Should Expand Again
- 19:03 The Case for Starting the Season in August, Ending in Early January
- 21:48 Future of Conference Championship Games Depends on Number of CFP Teams
- 22:47 What Bjork Thinks of Ohio State’s 2026 Football Schedule
- 24:35 Why Ohio State Won‘t Pull Out of Non-Conference Games vs. Alabama, Georgia
- 26:42 Why Ohio State Hired Both Arthur Smith and Cortez Hankton to Replace Brian Hartline
- 29:33 The Financial Commitment of Competing for National Championships
- 32:13 Why the New Hockey Arena Has Been Delayed and Why It Will Still Happen Soon
- 34:04 Making Deep Runs, Not Just Making NCAA Tournament, is Expectation for Basketball
- 36:11 How Ohio State is Balancing Revenue Share Between Basketball and Football
- 37:52 Bjork’s Favorite Restaurants in Columbus
- 39:13 Bjork’s Favorite Bourbons
- 41:24 Why You’ll Find Bjork Watching Football Even When He’s Not Working
