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Ohio State NIL Spending — $64M Est. 2026

Rankings
School Hub
Ohio State
#3 Nationally
Big Ten
Power 4

Ohio State

Estimated NIL Spend

$64M

2025–26 est.

Top Sport

Football

$38M

#2 LSU#4 Oregon

NIL Spend Analysis

Estimated 2025-26 Total
$64M
Elite Tier
vs #1 Overall ($74M)86.5%
#3
National
#1
Conference
Top 1%
Nationally
By Sport
TopFootball59%
  • Football$38M59%
  • Men's Basketball$11M17%
  • Olympic Sports$7M11%
  • Hockey & Wrestling$4M6%

Player NIL values

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Estimates use school pool, roster role, position, class, jersey, and recruiting stars.
NIL ProfileBig Ten · 2026
The Sideline

Ohio State turned the sport's most expensive roster into a title, winning the 2024 national championship, and it has not slowed down.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — arguably the most valuable non-quarterback in college football — anchors a Buckeye roster that grades inside the national top three, now run by quarterback Julian Sayin. Ryan Day's program reinvests across the board: a top-tier men's basketball rebuild, championship-level wrestling and hockey, and a broad Olympic-sport collective. With one of the largest athletic-revenue bases in the country, Ohio State backs up its spending with hardware.

TS
The Sideline Staff·NIL Desk
Updated daily

How Ohio State's NIL Figure Is Estimated

The $64M figure above combines two sources permitted under the House v. NCAA settlement: Ohio State's direct revenue-share allocation and third-party collective deals funded by boosters, alumni, and corporate sponsors. We compile it from publicly disclosed contracts, collective funding announcements, athletic department reporting, and cross-referenced industry valuations, with Football the largest single-sport allocation at $38M.

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Ohio State NIL FAQ

How much does Ohio State spend on NIL in 2026?

Ohio State is estimated to spend $64M on NIL in the 2025–26 athletic year, including revenue-sharing allocations and third-party collective deals. This ranks #3 nationally among Division I programs.

What conference does Ohio State play in?

Ohio State competes in the Big Ten at the Power 4 level.

Which Ohio State sport gets the most NIL money?

Football is Ohio State's top NIL-funded sport with approximately $38M in estimated 2026 spending.

How does Ohio State compare to other Big Ten schools?

Ohio State's $64M NIL budget can be compared against every Big Ten program and all 357 Division I schools on The Sideline's NIL Tracker.

Where does Ohio State's NIL money come from?

Ohio State's NIL budget combines two sources: the school's direct revenue-share allocation (capped at roughly $20.5M industry-wide following the House settlement) and third-party collective deals funded by boosters, alumni, and corporate sponsors.

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Quick Stats

National Rank#3
ConferenceBig Ten
DivisionPower 4
Est. Total Spend$64M
Primary SportFootball

Nearby Rankings

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Did You Know?

Alabama won the 2017 national title on a second-and-26 touchdown pass in overtime.

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