Ohio State will pay Kent State $1.9 million to play at Ohio Stadium in 2026.
Per the game contract, which was provided to Eleven Warriors on Monday in response to a public records request, Ohio State will pay Kent State $1.9 million to come to Ohio Stadium for a game between the Buckeyes and Golden Flashes on Sept. 19, 2026.
The payout is in line with what Ohio State will play other non-conference opponents to play at Ohio State in upcoming seasons. While Youngstown State – a Football Championship Subdivision school – will only receive $800,000 to play the Buckeyes at the Shoe in 2023, each of the Buckeyes’ scheduled upcoming Group of 5 opponents will receive close to $2 million to make the trip to the Shoe.
| Date | Opponent | Total Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 10, 2022 | Arkansas State | $1,800,000 |
| Sept. 17, 2022 | Toledo | $1,800,000 |
| Sept. 9, 2023 | Youngstown State | $800,000 |
| Sept. 16, 2023 | Western Kentucky | $1,800,000 |
| Aug. 31, 2024 | Southern Miss | $1,900,000 |
| Sept. 21, 2024 | Western Michigan | $1,800,000 |
| Oct. 18, 2025 | Connecticut | $1,950,000 |
| Sept. 5, 2026 | Ball State | $1,900,000 |
| Sept. 19, 2026 | Kent State | $1,900,000 |
| Sept. 4, 2027 | Bowling Green | $1,800,000 |
| Sept. 2, 2028 | Buffalo | $1,900,000 |
Ohio State is also scheduled to play home-and-home non-conference series against Notre Dame (2022-23), Washington (2024-25), Texas (2025-26), Alabama (2027-28), Georgia (2030-31) and Oregon (2032-33); for each of those games, however, each school will make an equal payment to the other in the year that it hosts a home game, or no payouts will be made.
The full contract for the Ohio State-Kent State game can be found below.
