Ross Bjork gave one of the longest press conferences in recent Ohio State sports memory on Thursday, and each of the 75 minutes was warranted.
Coming off the NCAA's House settlement, not only is the landscape of college athletics changing, but the Buckeyes are making proactive changes themselves with the formation of Buckeye Sports Group and the Center for Sports Intelligence and Strategy.
Bjork echoed many of the sentiments that Eleven Warriors' Andy Anders and Dan Hope have been expressing when it comes to reeling in the chaos of NIL, which is that bringing it all under one umbrella in the athletic department is the most efficient way for Ohio State to help players get paid.
Another talking point of Thursday’s presser was the excess of noon games Ohio State has played as the driver of FOX's Big Noon kickoff model. Bjork called for more “flexibility” in terms of how games are scheduled, but also said it will be hard to obtain that before the Big Ten's current TV contract runs out in 2030.
Lastly, we reminisce about our time working with longtime Ohio State sports information director Jerry Emig, who announced Thursday that he will retire in March. Beyond his career accomplishments, Emig is an incredible father and kind soul off the field, which is how we’ll remember Emig most.
We break down all our takeaways from Bjork's “State of Ohio State” press conference on a new episode of Press Coverage, which you can watch at the top of the page.
The full rundown for the show:
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:14 Ohio State Entering Revenue Sharing Era with Tight Focus
- 8:59 Ross Bjork Wants More Night Games, But Might Have to Wait Until Next TV Contract
- 13:46 Center for Sports Intelligence & Strategy Shows Forward-Thinking Approach
- 15:41 Playoff Expansion Could Shape Future Non-Conference Schedules
- 20:19 What We Appreciate About Jerry Emig
