Ohio State Buckeyes athletic director weighs in on revenue sharing, football start times and game-day experience

Eighteen months later, he was finally able to talk in more specifics about what is going to happen next thanks to the final approval of the House settlement, an agreement ending a antitrust lawsuits filed against college sports powerbrokers over potential lost income of former college athletes.

Bjork spoke about how the Buckeyes will react to that and several other burning topics during an interview session that lasted well over an hour.

Here are the biggest things to know:

1. Ohio State will share revenue with players in four sports

A major aspect of the House vs. NCAA settlement is the creation of a revenue-sharing program between colleges and their players. Schools that opt into the settlement can do so with a cap of $21 million, and they can divvy up the money however they see fit (there is no minimum).

In the case of OSU, Bjork said players on the football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams will share in the spoils while athletes in other sports will continue to draw scholarships and be eligible for individual name, image and likeness deals as they are now.

While a majority of the revenue sharing is sure to go to football, Bjork declined to share specific dollar values.

“Numbers create narratives, right?” Bjork said, referencing reports Ohio State football players made collectively about $20 million last year off name, image and likeness payments on their way to winning the national championship. “We know what we’re talking about, right? So look, people wanna run with numbers and this is how much this is. The key point in all of this is this is more opportunity for athletes than ever before, directly from the institution. And so we’re not gonna get into calculating how much this program gets or that program, but it’s four sports.”

2. He supports expanding the College Football Playoff

Although last year was the first edition of the CFP with 12 teams, conference commissioners who control the postseason format have reportedly been discussing a move to 14 or 16 teams in 2026 when the original contract is up.

That includes a controversial plan, reportedly favored by the Big Ten, to allot a predetermined and uneven number of automatic bids to different conferences, including four apiece for the Big Ten and SEC.

“Let’s figure out what is the right model, but from our standpoint, look, we’re gonna always be in position (to make the playoff),” Bjork said. “We’re consistent in our performance, what we’re doing in recruiting, in Coach (Ryan) Day, in the leadership, so that’s our perspective.”

3. Bjork would like to see more night games at Ohio Stadium

This has been a sore subject for Ohio State fans in recent years as Fox Sports funnels the biggest games in the Big Ten to the noon broadcast window.

Bjork, who was working at Texas A&M when the Big Ten’s current TV deal with Fox, CBS and NBC was finalized three years ago, acknowledged not wanting every big Buckeyes home tilt to being an early start but indicated his hands are tied.

“I think we can show data on how we have carried the day,” he said, noting there are some exceptions written into the contract but overall teams play when the networks say they must. “So we have said no to Friday night games. There’s been some things that we have kind of drawn a line in the sand, and that’s okay, but I think we need to be thoughtful about, okay, there’s gonna be a balance. We do have a TV partner with Fox. They’re paying us a lot of money.”

4. Improving the game-day atmosphere at Ohio Stadium is on his mind

Bjork acknowledged a need to inject more life into Ohio State football home games but did not give many specifics.

“I think it goes back to how do we weave in traditional elements but modernize music or when we play certain music and really have a call to action?” Bjork said.

This year fans will notice some changes as the band is moving back to the north end of the stadium to make way for a new suite level in the South Stands. That also means more students will sit together to form a bigger student section, Bjork said.

“It’s fan engagement, it’s increasing student energy in a lot of ways,” he added.

5. Men’s basketball might not be of highest priority

While everyone in Division I is operating under the same revenue-sharing cap of $21 million, not everyone has the same number of programs to support.

Those without football theoretically could out-spend those who do on other sports, most notably basketball, if football gets most of the revenue-sharing cash at places like Ohio State.

“I know in the basketball world, people are worried about basketball-specific programs,” Bjork said. “That’s a reality that we’re gonna have to deal with. We’re gonna have to face.”

A school could also choose to funnel more money to any other program, specializing in (for example) hockey, volleyball, baseball or softball if it doesn’t have football or traditionally doesn’t compete with the biggest programs in that sport anyway.

“Could they go all in in those sports? They might, and we’ll have to deal with that. We’ll have to understand that.”