Ohio State to apportion $20.5 million to student-athletes, increases scholarships for nonrevenue sports

Ohio State University President Ted Carter told a Columbus Metropolitan Club audience the university plans to allocate $20.5 million for student-athlete payments this year and to increase scholarship support for nonrevenue sports.

Carter said, “So this year, we are going to apportion $20,500,000 to give to athletes.” He added that roughly $2 million of that total will go ‘‘directly to sports that don't generate revenue’’ and that the university will add 91 scholarship positions distributed across 23 of its 36 Division I sports.

Carter framed the move as an effort to preserve Ohio State’s full athletic roster: ‘‘We're not throwing all of the money into just basketball or football. … We have every intention of holding on to 36 sports.’’ He said the university will increase scholarship positions in 23 sports and that 2,000,000 of the $20.5 million will be targeted to nonrevenue programs.

Context: Carter said roster sizes and allocation methods are still being finalized and that not every institution will implement similar approaches. He noted his role on the NCAA board of governors and said athletic director Ross Bjork and university leaders are engaged in national-level discussions about compensation and policy.

Carter emphasized academic outcomes for student-athletes, noting recent high academic progress and graduation metrics at Ohio State. ‘‘Our football team had a perfect score of a thousand last year and the year before,’’ he said, and added that student-athletes graduate at about a 95 percent rate.

The forum included discussion of federal legislation and litigation affecting college athletics; Carter said Ohio State is participating in national conversations and will seek to protect values that keep student-athletes in classes and on campus.