Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Gene Smith reveal how much NIL money they need to keep Buckeyes’ roster together

Ohio State is expected to enter the 2022 season as the top challenger to Alabama. QB CJ Stroud is back. So are star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and RB TreVeyon Henderson.

But, coach Ryan Day and AD Gene Smith know it won’t be cheap to keep the roster together in this era of NIL money for players.

Speaking with boosters on Thursday, Day said he thinks it’ll take $13 million in NIL money to keep the Buckeyes together (via Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com):

“One phone call, and they’re out the door,” Day said. “We cannot let that happen at Ohio State. I’m not trying to sound the alarm, I’m just trying to be transparent about what we’re dealing with.”

To deal with it, Day set the bar at $13 million. That would include money offered to players by the outside collectives that have already formed to pay Ohio State players. And it would include this new brand ambassador program. As outlined in the 10-page color brochure, no NIL deal can demand that the player stay at Ohio State in order to be paid. And the NIL deals can’t be directly tied for performance — no touchdown bonuses.

Day compared the new NIL landscape to the speed limit:

“If the speed limit’s 45 miles per hour, and you drive 45 miles per hour, a lot of people are going to pass you by,” Day said. “If you go too fast, you’re going to get pulled over.”

Will the Buckeyes’ boosters step up to the plate and deliver that kind of money to keep the players in Columbus? Only time will tell.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.