Ohio State President Speaks on the Development of NIL Revenue and University Culture

NIL will become a more prominent part of Ohio State's athletic programs; benefitting student-athletes.

Ohio State President Ted Carter speaks during his investiture ceremony at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ted Carter stepped into the position of president of Ohio State almost one year ago, and his goals are slowly coming together.

Carter was determined to immerse himself in the culture that Ohio State stands for; listening to and earning the respect of the students, faculty, and community. His focus was university-wide, and he planned to bring the best to Ohio, while also sending the best out into the world from Ohio.

Through an athletic lens, Carter revealed that he intended to find a new athletics director for the university. With this goal in mind, he hired Ross Bjork, the previous athletic director for Texas A&M. Bjork has been the acting AD since Jul. 1.

With a new AD, Carter also began to focus on NIL dealings. Just recently, Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order to allow NIL deals to benefit student-athletes attending any Ohio college or university. If the organization were to benefit from the student's name, image, and likeness, they would be rightly compensated.

Each state must authorize such an act, even though the NCAA and many major conferences had already agreed to pay student-athletes. The funds that come from NIL go directly to the student-athlete.

Currently, the lawsuit brought on by the NCAA against the House concerning NIL deals has not yet reached a settlement, but Carter stands in full support of his university and its athletes. He explained that Ohio State would not be cutting any programs, although the settlement could reduce the number of roster spots available. This, however would give ample opportunity for Ohio State to institute more athletic scholarships.

As of Thursday, Ohio announced that there would be 91 additional scholarship spots for student-athletes. Through ticket sales and private donations, the university will be able to fund these scholarships, completely cutting out the use for taxpayer dollars and tuition fees.

Increasing NIL deals will also allow the university to independently fund student-athletes.

Carter's initiatives to better the university extend to campus safety, growth within the research departments, and an overall boost to their educational outputs. Ohio's 'Boomtown' is experiencing exponential growth, and when asked what could be done from the university, Carter gave his word to uphold the educational standards of Ohio State.

With the influx of high-profile athletes brought out by NIL, many university programs will have to account for growth. Carter is taking care of the "basics," thinking outside the box of athletics, and grasping the whole of The Ohio State University.