COLUMBUS, Ohio — College athletic departments across the country have long been preparing for approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, which is ushering in a new revenue-sharing era of college sports. Few have more decisions to make than Ohio State, which boasts 36 Division I sports teams.
So what will the Buckeyes do when revenue sharing takes effect July 1 and $20.5 million can be shared with athletes?
Much of the department’s energy has gone to finding the correct model for an athletic department that has been firm in its commitment to keeping all of its varsity sports. The model, which athletic director Ross Bjork broke down with reporters Thursday, includes spending $18 million across four sports: football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.
Though Bjork wouldn’t divulge how much each program is getting, he did say Ohio State chose those four sports based on its own metric-based system.
“The sports are popular, the Big Ten is a leader in volleyball and we want to get better,” Bjork said. “Coach (Jen) Flynn Oldenburg is working on a plan to get us back on track. With the attention we can receive, the Columbus market, volleyball is a booming sport and the Covelli Center is an amazing atmosphere.”
The other $2.5 million will be used…
