Ohio State University spent no less than $40 million to assemble its college football team for the 2024 season. While such a massive number is rather eye-popping on paper, that’s not as crazy as it sounds.
The Buckeyes are on the upper end of the scale, for sure, but they aren’t alone in such significant spending.
This price tag includes the players, the assistant coaches and the head coach. NIL is a large part of the equation but it is not the only variable. Let’s break it down.
First and foremost, Ryan Day is slated to make at least $10.2 million (plus bonuses) next year. He signed a seven-year, $66.5 million contract in 2022 with a fixed annual salary, not including incentives, and received a 5.25% pay raise in early 2023. That’s right off of the top.
His staff is also expensive!
Chip Kelly took a $4 million pay cut to leave his job as the head coach at UCLA to serve as Day’s offensive coordinator. Ohio State will pay him $2 million this year. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will make $2.2 million. That’s an additional $4.2 million, to total $14.4.
Four other Buckeyes assistants will make at least $1 million:
- Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline — $1.6M
- Defensive line and secondary coach Tim Walton — $1.4M
- Defensive line coach Larry Johnson — $1.167M
- Offensive line coach Justin Fry — $1M
The total jumps to $19.567 million.
Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn will get paid $650,000. Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri will make $425,000. Tight ends coach Keenan Bailey is slated to earn $400,000. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis is set at $350,000. They combine for $1.75 million, which brings the total over $20 million.
And then, and only then, is there the roster element.
Ohio State stepped up in the NIL space.
Ohio State reportedly spent at least $10 million, perhaps closer to $13, on its roster for 2024. That includes retention and addition.
The Buckeyes added five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, five-star safety Caleb Downs, and four-star center Seth McLaughlin from Alabama. Quinshon Judkins, the SEC’s leading rusher, left Ole Miss after Lane Kiffin and the Grove Collective refused to meet his outlandish NIL demands. Three-star tight end Will Kacmarek moved over from Ohio. Former Kansas State starting quarterback Will Howard is expected to be the starter in Columbus this fall.
$10.2 million on a head coach + $9.367 million on assistant coaches + at least $10 million on players = ~$30 million in total.
While that number might seem staggering, because it is, there are multiple programs on the Power Five level with similar overall budgets. Ryan Day is the fourth-highest paid coach in the country and his assistant salary pool is approximately $2 million more than other programs of similar status. Other NIL budgets hover around $10 million on the higher end, so $13 would be among the biggest.
Ohio State football is spending a lot of money. This year’s time might be the most expensive team in the country. Other schools might not be that far behind. All of these things can be true.
The Buckeyes better win!