We’ve seen college programs battling it out on the field, but off the field, the background wars go beyond the players. Every year, the broadcasters get their own talking points out to take a shot at rival platforms. Ahead of the playoffs, ESPN came under the scanner. And now, one prominent ESPN voice wants top Big Ten teams to claim the whole pie.
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“We got Ohio State, we got Penn State, and we got Michigan,” Dan Wetzel said on the February 16 episode of the College GameDay podcast. “And we put the three of you together and say, ‘Look, why are you floating the rest of these guys? Because if we had your football rights… for your three schools, and you all would play each other. Maybe we bring in USC or Oregon, or maybe we get a little scheduling deal with Notre Dame.”
“We have five or six. Every week we have a big-time game. And then you go out and schedule everything else as kind of independent. I’ve heard estimates that the Ohio State-Michigan game alone is worth $200 million in media rights, sponsorships, and all that. That’s $100 million for each school. That’s more than they make in the entire Big Ten. The Big Ten pays them like $78 million.”
The Big Ten currently has a 7-year, $7 billion deal with FOX, CBS, and NBC through the end of the 2029-30 athletic year. FOX has the primary broadcast control, making Ohio State an integral part of its college football coverage.
However, Wetzel suggests that if Ohio State broke away and aligned with ESPN, possibly alongside Michigan, Penn State, USC, Oregon, and even Notre Dame, the combined value of the marquee programs could bring in a higher revenue stream. On paper, it makes sense. However, we must point out the obvious here.
This is an interesting conversation. Ohio State is essentially leaving hundreds of millions of dollars yearly on the floor by playing in the Big Ten. Ohio State and Michigan could split $200M for The Game alone. https://t.co/b813B5cvHG
— JBook. (@JBook_37) February 17, 2026
Wetzel works for ESPN. It’s unlikely he’d suggest that Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and LSU band together and have a broadcasting deal of their own. So, the suggestion can be rejected at the onset. However, it gives us a chance to interrogate tensions within the conference. The Big 10 is already facing internal debates over its financial future, most notably with a controversial private equity proposal that could reshape the Big Ten’s structure.
What is Ohio State’s stance on the multibillion-dollar deal?
The Big Ten can change as we know it. The conference has been seriously considering the $2.4 billion deal with UC Investments, the University of California system’s portfolio manager. The deal will see UC Investments receive ten percent of the media and sponsorship rights earnings. This will be done through a new company called Big Ten Enterprises.
The remaining 90% would be distributed among the 18 programs. The payouts would vary based on each university’s revenue potential. So, likely, Ohio State and Michigan would get a bigger piece of the pie. Programs would also be required to sign a grant of rights agreement that binds the conference for the next 20 years.
Michigan has opposed the deal, calling it reckless and short-sighted, and criticizing the idea of bringing private equity into the conference. It basically makes the Big Ten more of an investment business than a football-focused league. One member of Michigan’s board even suggested that the Wolverines could leave the conference if the deal goes through without unanimous approval. So, where do the Buckeyes stand on this?
Ohio State has not yet reached a decision. President Ted Carter stated that the program honors the historical collaborative decision-making that the conference has always followed. So, the stance is vague right now. However, with Carter’s previous statement of supporting the Big Ten’s exploration of new revenue sources, the Buckeyes could give a green light to the deal.