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Ohio State lands its second commitment in two days from safety Khmari Bing.
Ryan Day will have no problem with the Big Ten making a private equity deal if it means the Ohio State football program has more money to work with.
Per the terms of a deal the Big Ten is considering making with an investment fund tied to the University of California Retirement Plan, Ohio State would reportedly receive approximately $190 million in upfront money as part of a $2.4 billion deal, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are set to receive the most money from the deal as money would be distributed unevenly among the conference’s 18 schools.
Asked about the potential $190 million infusion into Ohio State’s athletic department on Tuesday, Day joked that Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork would allow him to use all of that money on the Buckeyes’ 2026 recruiting class.
“Ross said we could use that for the next class, the whole thing. We're good. So I was really excited when he told me that,” Day said with a laugh. “I said, ’Man, we're going to put a good class together.’”
In the more serious portion of his answer, however, Day said he trusts Bjork and Ohio State president Ted Carter to make the best decisions for the university as deliberations continue on whether the Big Ten should bring in an outside investor. While Day is keeping his focus on the ongoing football season, he’s glad Bjork and Carter are working toward ensuring Ohio State is best positioned for the future.
“Every decision that’s made is made kind of like the way we (as a football program) are. We have a short-term focus, but more importantly, we have a long-term focus,” Day said. “And at Ohio State this is something that has to be stable. We always have to make sure that we're making great decisions for the future as well as right now. We know we have to win right now. We've got to win this game right here (against Wisconsin this week). That's where the focus is. But we also have to look ahead, because we know what the expectation is in the long-term.
“So (Bjork has) been great about communicating to me what's going on, and always worked to give us everything we need, but at the same time, he's going to make the decision that's best for the athletic department and the university. So I don't think those final decisions have been made, but I know he's right in the middle of it, so is President Carter, and their hard work is much appreciated.”
While Dellenger reported that many Big Ten members “overwhelmingly support” the proposed deal, a unanimous vote is required for the deal to be approved. Per Dellenger, Michigan and USC are among the schools that could potentially vote against the deal, as detractors have emerged on each of their boards of trustees.
If the deal is approved, the Big Ten would create a new entity, Big Ten Enterprises, which would control the league’s media rights and sponsorship deals. The UC investment fund would receive a 10% ownership stake in Big Ten Enterprises, with each of the league’s 18 schools and the conference office also holding ownership stakes. It would extend the conference’s grant of media rights to 2046, effectively locking each of the league’s 18 members into the Big Ten for the next 20 years.
