For years, Ohio State’s basketball program has lived in the shadow of its football giant. But a new promise from the athletic department could finally shift the balance of power, and head coach Jake Diebler is ready for the fight. Ross Bjork has good news for the men’s basketball program and its fans, with Diebler addressing the change in the NIL situation.

Ohio State doesn’t shy away from flexing its riches when it comes to football. The school has bolstered its NIL agenda for football in recent years, which has given Ryan Day and Co. access to the best talent in the nation. Meanwhile, OSU has dropped out of national chatter when it comes to men’s basketball. Ross Bjork gave the basketball program a much-needed boost after he confirmed to Eleven Warriors that basketball will receive a higher NIL revenue share starting next year. Jake Diebler, who opened up on the situation, has an extremely positive outlook on the development, which will probably allow him to receive some of the money that was going to be allocated to football.

“I know Ross–his team, myself, we are working and really have been working relentlessly to continue to push and increase our NIL situation,” Diebler said on February 16. “I’m excited about the things that are happening to help us be better in certain spaces. There’s no question, like, there’s things in motion that can’t impact the here and now, but are exciting about the future. I’m just appreciative of what Ross and his team how we’ve been able to work together to fight. It’s a fight; it’s a battle, and we’re fighting it, and we’re fighting it together, and I’m appreciative of that.”

The new revenue-sharing model from Ross Bjork offers a glimpse of change, but it’s fighting against a massive historical imbalance. To put it in perspective, the entire proposed NIL fund for multiple sports is just a fraction of the $92.4 million spent on football alone in 2025, illustrating why figures like Gus Johnson feel the scales are hopelessly tipped, saying, “Ohio State, they’ve given all the money to Ryan Day.”

But next year onwards, Ryan Day will see a cut in funds. It shouldn’t matter as much to the football program, since they are one of the most-valuable ones in the sport. But the basketball team desperately needed this increase in share to be able to succeed on the court. Ohio State hasn’t been able to recruit well in this arena, with its 2026 class sitting 14th in the nation. Without the right players, there’s no way OSU basketball will be revived anytime soon. However, Jake Diebler admitted that OSU’s power currently lies in football. Inadvertently, it also helps out other sports.

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Jake Diebler responded to Gus Johnson’s attack on OSU

The basketball team losing to Virginia this Sunday was yet another low blow for Ohio State basketball. The controversy was sparked by Johnson, who accused OSU of prioritizing football. When asked about the comments, Diebler pushed back on the narrative. In fact, he had an interesting reply to Gus Johnson’s comments.

“First and foremost, all information isn’t accurate information, right? Like, there’s an element to NIL that’s hidden. So, everything you see or read, regardless of who it’s from, we’re not speaking specifically to us right now, there’s a lot of inaccurate information out there.

“The one thing that I know is that Ohio State is a really special place. Part of what makes Ohio State special is the fact that we got a big-time athletic department that strives for excellence in 36 sports, and there’s no question that football is a major, major financial driver, you know, to the operation here.”

Ohio State has transformed into a football school. It is the major reason why the school is on the map. Yes, other sports have taken a hit for the sake of football’s welfare, but there are also some massive financial gains centered around football. Ryan Day and Co. helped OSU earn a revenue of $160.6 million, which is 81% of the total amount generated in the 2025 fiscal year.

While other sports have to rely mostly on third-party NIL deals, they still get some attention because of the successes of OSU football. They don’t depend on football for survival, but every sport at Ohio State gets a major boost when Ryan Day and Co. reach new heights. That is one major benefit that cannot be ignored.