The Buckeyes are bringing their NIL in-House.
In the wake of the NCAA's $2.78 billion House Settlement, which made new provisions for athletic departments and conferences to oversee their student-athletes' NIL earnings, the Ohio State athletic department and Learfield have announced the formation of Buckeye Sports Group.
BSG will consolidate the Buckeyes' existing NIL collectives, namely The 1870 Society and The Foundation, into one NIL management team within the athletics department. Founding members of both collectives will serve in advisory roles under BSG.
By creating a dedicated team of NIL leaders to serve under the athletics department, the Ohio State athletics department intends to help its student-athletes "maximize their brand value" and "support, streamline and enhance" NIL opportunities, per a release from OSU athletics and Learfield.
"Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation," Ohio State deputy athletic director Carey Hoyt said in the release. "By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield's expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes."
BSG will have access to Learfield's Compass NIL technology through their partnership, which is used to connect players to brand deals that suit their interests. The partnership is centered on a comprehensive strategy that will also provide student-athletes with financial literacy resources to help with money management and taxes.
BSG will serve all 36 varsity sports at Ohio State.
