Skull Session: Jersey Patches Are Imminent for Ohio State, Ross Bjork Thinks Jake Diebler’s “Done a Great Job” Building a Competitive Roster for Buckeye Men’s Basketball This Season

By Chase Brown on June 26, 2026 at 4:55 am
Julian Sayin
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

These photos mean everything to me.

Have a good Friday.

 BRACE YOURSELF. Jersey patches are imminent for Ohio State football — and it’s possible the Buckeyes could have them this fall.

At a press conference with Eleven Warriors and other Ohio State media outlets on Thursday, Ross Bjork discussed how the Buckeyes can maximize revenue streams to sustain success in the ever-evolving college football landscape. I’ll share his entire quote, which came after a reporter asked him if the athletic department has considered selling naming rights to Ohio Stadium.

“I made the comment — I think I got into a little bit of trouble, I can’t remember what interview it was when I first got here — that everything is sort of on the table. That’s probably still the case. Obviously, look, we’ve done the Safelite Field. We’re in conversations around a jersey patch. What does that look like? Hopefully we can get something done before the season. The stadium naming rights, look, it’s owned by the state of Ohio, so I think there’s a very careful analysis that would have to take place. If you pursue that, who’s the partner and what does that look like? 

“Other places have protected names with other donations or other commitments where they protected the name of the stadium. Is it something like that? Part of this next iteration is we really need a comprehensive plan on what the next 50, 75, 100 years look like. Infrastructure, mechanical, electrical, restrooms, toilets, concessions, premium seating, experiential — those are the things we are studying right now. And then you have to map out a funding plan. Given the scope of our program, I think we can have a successful process. … But naming rights, we would not lead with naming rights.”

I like what Bjork said about the stadium naming rights, but when he said Ohio State hopes to have a jersey patch sponsorship “done before the season,” I honestly stopped listening. 

If Bjork’s preferred timeline is to have an official partnership before September, that means the Buckeyes have a suitor, or multiple suitors, who want to put their logo on Ohio State’s iconic uniforms as soon as this fall. Therefore, I don’t believe sponsorship is just possible — I think it’s probable.

Oklahoma State recently became the latest Power conference program to announce a jersey patch partnership, teaming up with Osage Nation to place an orange-and-white logo on the Cowboys' uniforms. That announcement came just eight days after Michigan State unveiled a deal with MSU Federal Credit Union that will place a green-and-white logo on Spartan practice gear, jerseys and helmets, among other athletic assets.

Whether fans like it or not, jersey patches appear to be the next frontier in college athletics' arms race. Ohio State has long been able to lean on its brand and tradition to remain among the sport's elite, but the economics of college sports are changing rapidly. If a jersey patch helps fund roster retention, revenue sharing and facility upgrades, it may soon be viewed as the cost of doing business.

Based on Bjork's comments Thursday, Buckeye fans may not have to wait long to find out what that looks like.

 “JAKE’S DONE A GREAT JOB.” When asked where Ohio State’s financial support for men’s basketball stacks up against other Big Ten programs and how the athletic department can help the Buckeyes become more competitive, Ross Bjork didn’t directly answer the question. 

Instead, he pointed to what he views as the biggest factor in the program’s trajectory: roster construction under Jake Diebler.

“I think Coach Diebler’s done a great job of putting together the right coaching staff, which then leads to the right roster building and development. By all accounts, we’re sitting here on June 25, we should be a lot better next year,” Bjork said. “I think the pieces that were added, the pieces that were retained with our players — that was a big part of it, retain the right guys. Obviously, signing somebody like Anthony Thompson was a big deal. That hasn’t happened around here in a while. I think Jake’s done a great job.”

Bjork then shifted to the role financial support plays in that equation, noting the department has increased its investment as the revenue-sharing era reshapes roster building across college athletics.

“If we’ve done a great job there, that means the resources are there to compete at a high level. We believe in that. Jake has done a good job of cultivating that as well. We’ve put more resources from the department perspective because the formula sort of changed around the rev share. There’s more cash from the institution side in the rev share bucket for basketball.”

He also cautioned against taking public reports of revenue-sharing figures at face value.

“Nobody really knows what the numbers are,” Bjork said. “They are reported out there, and we can read social media just like all of you and say, ‘Well, this is their number.’ But you don’t really know. But I do believe that we are in a competitive spot based on this past offseason.”

Despite sidestepping the question on financial comparisons, Bjork’s message was clear: Ohio State believes it has positioned itself to be significantly better in Year 2 under Jake Diebler.

In other words, the Basketbucks are back.

 CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Ross Bjork joked Thursday that Ohio Stadium is always under construction. The 103-year-old venue is showing its age, and the Horseshoe continues to undergo upgrades to maintain its status as one of college football’s premier environments.

One of the most significant updates this offseason has come behind the scenes. Ohio State’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) is in the midst of a major overhaul of the stadium’s Wi-Fi and network infrastructure, replacing roughly 1,600 wireless access points and adding more than 400 additional units throughout the seating bowl and concourses.

“OTDI is executing a major transformation and expansion of Wi-Fi and network infrastructure at Ohio Stadium to improve fan connectivity, operations and event-day performance,” OTDI director of enterprise networking Ryan Holland told Ohio State News this week.

Once the project is complete, the stadium will feature more than 2,000 wireless access points. Work has been taking place throughout the summer between concerts and other events in the Horseshoe, including the replacement of handrail enclosures in the seating bowl and the installation of new under-seat access points between aisles.

“Due to limited space in the stadium during these events, a lot of the material staging, preparation, and labeling occurred at the Telecommunications Network Center,” associate director of telecommunications infrastructure Brent Reeb said.

The project will utilize HPE Networking’s Juniper Mist Wi-Fi solution, which leverages artificial intelligence to optimize network performance. When finished, Ohio Stadium will be the largest stadium deployment of HPE Juniper Mist Wi-Fi in the country.

The upgrade is expected to be completed before the 2026 football season, with the goal of delivering more consistent connectivity and an improved fan experience across the stadium.

 GO RAIDERS. When I was looking at colleges after high school, Wright State was a candidate — until someone hit me with: “Wright State? Wrong school!” Rather than risk hearing that joke for the next four years, I quickly scratched the Raiders off my list.

As it turns out, Wright State wasn’t the wrong fit for everyone.

The university announced Thursday it has hired Brad Chandler as its next athletic director. Chandler brings Ohio State ties to the role, having previously worked as a compliance officer for the Buckeyes in the early 2010s.

Chandler becomes the second Buckeye to land an athletic director job this offseason, joining Kevin Griffin, who was named Oregon State’s AD after spending the past four years at Ohio State as associate vice president for brand engagement, services and partnerships.

Best of luck to him, even if it is the wrong school.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "First Date" - blink-182.

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