The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State AD Ross Bjork on Spending, NIL, and the Future of College Football

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises, Bill Landis
Guest: Ross Bjork (Athletics Director, Ohio State)
Main Theme:
A candid discussion with Ohio State AD Ross Bjork about the escalating economics of college football, NIL, revenue sharing, collectives, enforcement, and the sustainability of the sport’s financial model.

Episode Overview

Doug and Bill sit down with Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork, exploring whether Ohio State is “spending all it can,” how schools manage spending under current NIL and revenue share rules, and if college football should move toward an uncapped spending model. The conversation dives into the history and future of paying college athletes, the challenges in controlling spending, and the responsibility of leadership amidst chaos and pressure to win.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. History of College Athletics and Paying Athletes (03:06–07:27)

• Bjork draws a sweep of history, arguing the impulse to pay athletes is not new.
  • He points to Harvard-Yale’s 1852 race, early 50s Ohio State scandals, and a 1957 report calling for athlete pay.
  • “Anytime there’s been money and anytime there’s been restrictions in college athletics around benefits, money, whatever it is, what do people do? They find a way to get around it.” – Ross Bjork (06:08)
• Revenue Share and Cap Context:
  • Under the “House” legal settlement, schools are capped at sharing 22% of revenues with athletes, currently about $20.5 million for Ohio State.
  • But NIL, collectives, and booster-driven deals have far outpaced this figure.

2. The Cap, NIL Market, and a Future Without Restrictions? (07:27–10:24)

• Should college football mimic pro sports’ uncapped models?
  • Bill wonders about “taxing” schools that overspend for competitive balance.
  • Bjork notes: “All of this is anti-trust...we’ve always found a way. So yes, an uncapped market is very, very difficult, but who’s to say what the value is?”
  • He emphasizes the need for sustainable, enforceable models but admits solutions are elusive.

3. The Rapid Increase in Spending Needs & Numbers Game (10:24–12:49)

• Roster retention costs skyrocketing:
  • Doug cites Ryan Day’s $13M (2022) and $20M (2024) numbers for holding a championship roster.
  • “These numbers—30 million, 40 million—those are the things that are being thrown around there.” – Ross Bjork (11:39)
  • Bjork avoids giving a number, noting that market-value talk quickly becomes public narrative and pressure.

4. Is Ohio State “Spending All It Can?” (12:49–15:26)

• “We are maximizing every possible scenario...with all kinds of different partners from Learfield, Nike, donors, collectives.” – Ross Bjork (13:27)
• Ohio State leverages its brand value for NIL arrangements; actively seeking new opportunities.
• “There still can be an upside as we grow the enterprise...we’re trying to maximize.” (15:20)

5. Mechanics of NIL & Revenue Sharing: How Deals Get Done

Is it a set budget, or do you find money for specific players?

• “It’s both.” – Ross Bjork (17:24)
• Roster management is dynamic: set targets, but flexibility is key for retention, recruitment, and portal needs.

Are mega-donor/booster-funded “rosters” doable at OSU?

• “If money were no object... a billionaire booster would have to satisfy business purpose, valid agreement, compensation range — then it’s cleared. It would be a marketing arrangement.” – Bjork (19:09)
• Bjork says OSU is already set up to handle such scenarios, and “everything’s fluid and nimble.” (20:40)

Advice for average fans and small donors:

• “The best place, honestly, is to give to the Buckeye Club...the scale’s there, we just need to activate and engage.” – Bjork (22:00)
• Collectives are less “retail” now but still offer flexibility for some deal types.

6. Collectives vs. In-House Opportunities (24:11–25:28)

• What do collectives do that OSU in-house NIL can’t?
  • “It gives us more flexibility—memorabilia, merchandise, appearances, a charity.” – Bjork (24:46)
• Compliance risks:
  • Deals must be “reported” or the athlete risks ineligibility.
  • Collectives offer another channel, but OSU wants everything above-board.

7. The Growing Complexity: Contract Negotiations, Agents, and Enforcement (26:32–31:30)

• Do you need contract experts in-house?
  • “Yes, and we have that...We’re actually going to hire another NIL person to support.” – Bjork (27:15, 28:07)
  • Contract negotiations are “a lot more complex” than even last year.
• Agent and representation landscape:
  • More regulation needed: “I believe we need to pursue some kind of action... certification element. That’s best for the athlete.” – Bjork (30:17)

8. Recent Contract/Transfer Cases and Enforcement Lessons (31:30–34:30)

• Discussion on high-profile cases (e.g., Daman Williams at Washington).
  • Schools/players increasingly using enforceable contracts with “buyout” or “liquidated damages” language (33:26).
  • Both revenue share and third-party NIL deals are legal contracts, with reciprocal protections.

9. Ethics, Rules Compliance, and Fan Frustration (34:30–37:55)

• Doug reflects on how lack of uniform enforcement creates competitive imbalances and frustrates fans:
  • “Should there be a trophy for following the rules the best? It’s a hard spot.” – Doug (35:19)
• Bjork addresses the challenge:
  • “My number one job every single day... is to do what’s in the best interest of the Ohio State University and never, ever put the university at risk or put...our athletes at risk.” – Bjork (36:03)
  • He supports structure, sustainable models, and timely collective action.

10. Should There Be No Spending Limit? Chaos vs. Structure

Are we past $20M? What’s the real market size?

• “Yes, we have outpaced the market...The phrase we have outpaced the market. Yes, that’s accurate.” – Bjork (38:13)

What would it take to let schools pay more?

• It would require buy-in from conference, NCAA, and extensive negotiations/legal work (38:58)
• But: “If you raise the number, what’s going to happen? People are going to try to go above the number...anytime we put a restriction on the money, that’s where we are.” (39:33)

Unrestricted spending?

• “Anytime you’ve governed it, you’ve led to this chaos...Having an unlimited number, that’s hard...But we have to create the structure to get to the discussion to then create the options.” – Bjork (41:31)
• Doug: “It’s got to be collectively bargained, right? Every other league...collective bargaining.” (42:31)
• Bjork: “We’re the only country in the world that has education, higher education mixed with sports...If we really would have adapted to technology, social media, we could have put ourselves in a better position...We left it a restrictive environment for way too long.” (42:43–43:29)

11. Final Thoughts: OSU’s Position and the Bigger Picture (44:15–44:57)

• “We’re always going to be on the right side of the equation, right? From an economic standpoint, there’s no question about that...The opportunity that we provide to athletes, it’s amazing...We can’t lose that. If we do, then...what are we doing?” – Ross Bjork (44:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bjork on History Repeating:
  “Anytime there’s been money, anytime there’s been restrictions ... people find a way to get around it.” (06:08)
• On the Difficulty of Restriction:
  “Anytime we restrict the environment around the benefits, it leads to ... are they doing the right thing?” (07:00)
• On Market-Outpacing Caps:
  “The market outpaced the 22%. It just did.” (06:59)
• On Handling Donor Money:
  “A billionaire booster would have to satisfy ... the valid business purpose. Then it gets cleared.” (19:09)
• On Handling Fan Donations:
  “The scale’s there. We just need to activate it and engage it ... The best place ... is to give to the Buckeye Club.” (22:00)
• On Rules and Competitive Balance:
  “They hand out trophies for winning. They don’t hand out trophies for following rules.” – Doug (34:30)
• On Ethical Responsibility:
  “I can’t look an athlete in the eye and say, ‘I’m going to put you at risk because of this.’” (36:03)
• On Needless Chaos:
  “Why does our sport have to be chaos? Like, why can’t we figure it out?” – Doug (42:11)
• On the Uniqueness of the U.S. Model:
  “We’re the only country in the world that has education, higher education mixed with sports ... There’s no other system like it.” (42:43)
• On OSU’s Position:
  “We’re always going to be on the right side of the equation ... but the opportunity that we provide ... is amazing.” (44:15)

Key Timestamps

• 03:06: History of paying college athletes and cycles of restriction
• 07:27: The challenge and possible future of an uncapped model
• 10:56: Ballpark costs of maintaining a title-contending roster
• 13:27: Whether OSU is currently “spending all it can”
• 17:24: How NIL and revenue share strategy works
• 19:09: Handling mega-donor situations and legalities
• 22:00: Advice for regular fans about giving money
• 24:46: The continuing (and changing) role of collectives
• 27:15: Need for in-house contract experts in college football
• 30:17: Agent regulation and the need for oversight
• 31:44: Lessons from recent high-profile contract sagas
• 33:26: Buyouts and contract enforceability at Ohio State
• 36:03: Bjork’s personal/ethical approach to compliance
• 38:13: Evidence that the “market has outpaced” official limits
• 41:31: Bjork’s nuanced take on caps and open spending
• 42:43: The American model’s uniqueness and challenges
• 44:15: Final thoughts on OSU’s advantages and mission

Conclusion

This episode provides a rare, transparent look at the real financial and ethical issues facing top-tier college athletics. Ross Bjork calls for a sustainable, enforceable model—acknowledging both Ohio State’s vast resources and the broader need for reform. This is essential listening for anyone interested in the current and future economics of college football.