For a program that has become the hallmark of stability whenever the Buckeyes take to the field, things at the top present a different picture for Ohio State. Just two years after taking over from Kristina M. Johnson, The Ohio State University President Ted Carter has resigned. It comes after the disclosure of an “inappropriate relationship,” making him the second President to resign abruptly in the last three years.

Carter, the 17th President of the University, resigned over the weekend following an executive session on March 7. Before the meeting, he had told trustees about “an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.”

“The Board was surprised and disappointed to learn of this matter and takes the situation and its potential impact on the university very seriously,” Ohio State Board of Trustees Chair John Zeiger said while accepting Carter’s resignation. “We respect your decision and appreciate your cooperation in supporting an orderly leadership transition.”

Ted Carter has been married for more than 40 years to Lynda Carter, who was often referred to as the university’s “First Lady” during his tenure. They met in 1979 and got married by 1982. Carter had just graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Meanwhile, Lynda had completed her studies at the University of Maryland.

They also have two children together, who are now adults. Family has often been a central theme in Ted Carter’s public speeches. He frequently speaks about the support he received from his wife and children throughout his career. This current scandal damages the clean image that Carter has maintained throughout his career.

Stepping into the presidency of OSU in 2024, Carter used his first year to understand the vision shared by the University’s stakeholders through a “listening and learning tour.” The learnings led him to craft a 10-year plan, titled Education for Citizenship 2025. Introduced in November 2024, the plan included the University’s shift towards AI initiatives, investments in other colleges, and hiring top faculty members.

Carter’s performance even earned a seal of approval from the trustees when he received a 4.5% merit raise. His contract was set to expire in December 2028. In his departing note to the campus community, Carter accepted the mistake and said it was an honor to serve the University.

“For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University. I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership,” said Carter. “I believe we have made much progress during my time at Ohio State, and I’m sorry I’m not able to remain your president longer.”

“I have enjoyed a strong working relationship with the board of trustees, and I’m grateful for their support and guidance. It has been an honor to serve as this university’s 17th president, and we wish the university ongoing success,” added the former OSU president in his statement, expressing gratitude.

As a staunch supporter of Ohio State’s dominance over its conference, Carter was unhappy with the way the Big Ten shares its revenue equally with the member schools. Programs like Ohio State and Michigan have led the charts when it comes to viewership. Carter was hinting at the possibility of a change in the existing model.

“I will say that there are only a couple of schools that really represent the biggest brands in the Big Ten, and you can see that by the TV viewership,” Carter said back in September of last year. “I mean, look what we just went through with the Texas game (week 1)…. You know, 16.6 million people [were] watching that game over the whole game, and it peaked at 18.6 million. It’s the most-watched opening game in history and the third-largest game ever watched in a regular season (on FOX). So, that’s what happens when you put the Ohio State brand out there.”

Before taking the helm at Ohio State, Carter spent four years leading Nebraska. He was the first Ohio State president in nearly seven decades to not hold a medical or a doctoral degree. His leadership was built on an already distinguished resume in higher education and the military. Those roles cemented his reputation as a leader capable of navigating both academic institutions and national defense organizations.

Who could be next in place of Ted Carter Jr.?

After Ted Carter’s resignation, OSU has not announced an interim president yet. But Ohio State Board of Trustees chair John Zeiger’s statement clearly reflects that the program will share its plan within a week.

“Our collective dedication to advancing Ohio State’s standing as one of the nation’s premier public universities is unchanged,” said Zeiger. “The current strength and momentum of Ohio State and its collective leadership team make us highly confident that our momentum will continue to be strong. You play a critical role in that mission, and we will share additional information about the transition in the coming days.”

Whoever takes over will need to match the competitive zeal of Carter who was always on the offensive when it came to Ohio State and its position in the national conversation. The man was never shy of speaking his mind, even around topics that were divisive. Few issues have been as polarizing as the idea of student-athletes turning into employees. Carter was firmly against it, and was speaking out against such a change last month.

“Well, it’ll be a conversation, for sure, and it may happen, you know, coming out of the White House, for all we know, I mean, there could be a commission put together that will talk about, how does this play out? I’m a big believer that we don’t want to make our athletes employees, because I think ultimately they lose. They lose things like a scholarship. There’ll be much less incentive to graduate and get a degree, which is something that we hold dear.”

Despite being a retired Navy Vice Admiral, Carter operates from the back and lets the experts take point. Whoever is hired next will have some big shoes to fill.