• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

Million-Dollar Bonuses to $2 Hot Dogs: The Big Money of Ohio State’s Title

Ohio State has a $20 million roster and a $285 million athletic department, and its title win earned millions more.

Ryan Day
The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State captured its first football national title in a decade Monday night, beating Notre Dame 34–23 in Atlanta. 

The game concluded the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Dec. 20 start meant first-round games on college campuses and games occasionally bumping up against NFL territory.

The victory came with plenty of financial rewards. Here are the numbers to know from Monday’s result: 

$1 million: Total bonuses earned by Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day for winning the national title. Day earned $500,000 for Monday night’s win alone, but combined with his other postseason incentives, hits seven figures to add to his $10 million salary 

$700,000: Total bonuses earned by Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly for the team’s performance this year. The CFP win netted him another $100,000 under a contract that gives up a 5% bonus for a title win; Kelly’s base salary is $2 million. Day’s 10 assistant coaches each qualified for six-figure bonuses 

$770,000: OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’s total bonus earnings, a slightly higher amount than Kelly’s due to his $2.2 million base salary 

$46 million: Total payout to the Big Ten, of which OSU is a member

$2.6 million: Amount paid out to each of the Big Ten’s 17 members for OSU winning the national title. The Buckeyes got the same amount as their peers (Notre Dame gets to keep the $20 million it made to itself because it’s not in a conference)

$20 million: Approximate cost of Ohio State’s entire roster in NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals 

$285–300 million: Ohio State’s annual athletics budget, which it says is the largest in the country

$4 million: ESPN color analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s annual salary with the network. Herbstreit, a former OSU quarterback, called the game for ESPN. Herbstreit’s broadcast partner, Chris Fowler, reportedly makes $3 million annually 

$1–$1.1 million: Cost of a 30-second advertisement on ESPN during the national championship game, according to Navigate Research 

$1.3 billion: Price ESPN pays annually to broadcast the entire 12-team College Football Playoff

$2,500: Average price per ticket sold for the title game, according to StubHub. The price range was from $1,740 to $6,287 

$50,000: Bonus Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork received for the Buckeyes making the title game. Bjork’s annual salary is $2 million annually 

$200: Lowest rate for a hotel room in the Atlanta area for Monday night 

$500: Price of a one-way ticket for a Southwest Airlines flight from Columbus to Atlanta on Monday

$2: Cost of a hot dog at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is known for its fan-friendly prices

$900 million: Price Mercedes-Benz paid for the naming rights to the stadium in 2015, two years before it opened 

This story has been updated.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
exclusive

Chip Caray Will Not be Suspended for Accidental Homophobic Slur: Sources

The verbal stumble was followed by over 30 seconds of silence.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is shown during the first quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Sues Miami for ‘Tampering’ With Football Transfer

Xavier Lucas signed NIL deals in Madison before transferring to Miami.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

Omaha Delivers Again: LSU, Coastal Carolina Set for CWS Showdown

LSU and Coastal Carolina begin their three-game series Saturday.
Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks starting pitcher Gage Wood (14) celebrates completing a no hitter against the Murray State Racers at Charles Schwab Field.
June 17, 2025

College World Series Enters Cinderella Era

A series of upsets gives the fast-growing event a new look this year.
Washington's Ben Gorsage, right, and Orland Park Sandburg's Mateo Ramiro-Garcia tangle at the start of the Class 3A state 800-meter run Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Gorsage took third place, followed by Ramiro-Garcia in fourth.
June 19, 2025

Dozens of Olympic Sports Have Been Cut in Wake of House v...

Tennis, track and field, and swimming and diving appear heavily impacted.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers starting pitcher Kade Anderson (32) pitches against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field.
June 16, 2025

How College Athlete Buyouts Could Work in the Revenue-Sharing Era

The buyouts could put both players and schools at a disadvantage.
Texas' Sam Hurley watches the announcement of the competitors in the high jump at the 2023 NCAA outdoor track and field championships, June 9, 2023 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
June 16, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Model Could Boost Programs in Football’s Shadow

“We’re not getting paid the millions of dollars that football is.”
UT
June 12, 2025

Zakai Zeigler Denied Injunction for Fifth Year at Tennessee

The former Tennessee guard sued the NCAA over potential lost NIL earnings.
North Dakota Fighting Hawks guard Zach Kraft (1) shoots the ball on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
June 12, 2025

House v. NCAA Settlement Is Here. Non-Power Conference Schools Still Have Questions

D-I administrators still have questions they haven’t gotten answered.