Ohio State returned to the top of college football with its national championship in 2024. The Buckeyes couldn’t do a rerun last season, but the program is determined to stay at the top. And not just in one sport. In the NIL world, that would mean spending more money on players and facilities, and Ohio State AD Ross Bjork is ready for that.

According to Eleven Warriors’ Chase Brown, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork, in an interview with local media, boldly declared that the Buckeyes “will be the first program to have a $500 million budget.” The promise did not include an exact timeline, but it could be fulfilled as early as two years from now or more.

As per the FY2025 report, the Buckeyes ranked among the most successful college programs. The program posted a revenue of $336 million, a $57 million increase from $279 million in 2023. In comparison, the expenses increased from $274.1 million in 2023 to $320.4 million in 2025. Football was a major contributor ($160.6 million) to the program’s revenue. Björk has shown an interest in expanding Ohio State’s revenue streams.

“While there will be continued challenges to our economic model, we will strive to be best in class by continuing to innovate and stay aggressive in generating new revenue streams while also managing our expenses as soundly as possible. We are grateful for every Buckeye fan, donor, season ticket holder, and all students who support our program in numerous ways,” Bjork said, per Ohio State News.

Clearly, college programs are run differently, and the goals a program sets are usually based on how it wants to be run. The national championship-winning head coach, Curt Cignetti, recently boasted about the program’s frugal stance, making an indirect reference to Alabama’s athletic director, Courtney Morgan, who said it takes “probably more than $40 million” to build a championship roster in the NIL era. Cignetti countered him on X, quoting a post that estimated Indiana’s roster expenses below $40 million: “not even close.”

The Buckeyes have already exceeded the $40 million mark in the 2026 season. The program’s 2026 roster is valued at $43.5 million. However, it is tough to see that big an increase in the football budget to reach $500 million over the next two to three years. That leaves the upgradation of facilities at Columbus. The program has outlined several such improvements, including renovations to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Ohio State is not selling naming rights

Despite the announcement of more spending, Bjork has decided to shut down one revenue opportunity for the Buckeyes. According to Buckeyes Wire, Bjork was asked if Ohio State would be signing a naming rights deal. It is becoming popular in college football, as seen recently with the Arkansas Razorbacks signing Community America Credit Union as the naming rights sponsor for Razorback Stadium.

Bjork gave an uncertain response. While he did not rule out such a possibility, he denied that anything close to that was in the works. Moreover, there is a significant challenge for the Buckeyes should they decide to sign a naming rights deal. The program’s stadium belongs to the state of Ohio; hence, any attempt to secure naming rights must be approved by the state’s legislature.

Army athletics, Air Force athletics, Tennessee Vols, Florida Atlantic, and Arizona State are a few of the several college football programs that have been on naming rights deals or have just signed theirs ahead of the 2026 season.