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How $20 Million In NIL Funds Powered Ohio State’s National Championship Win

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 20: Devin Brown #33 and JT Tuimoloau #44 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate after winning the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Ohio State won the College Football Playoff national title on Monday night with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. The Buckeyes built their championship roster using about $20 million from NIL (name, image, and likeness) funds.

Ohio State is believed to have one of the top NIL “payrolls” in college sports this year, distributing more funds to their football team than many schools allocate across all their athletic programs combined.

Their heavy hitters include “THE Foundation,” which is a booster and donor collective with nonprofit and for-profit divisions, and the 1870 Society, which offers Buckeyes fans exclusive access to their favorite teams while expanding earning opportunities for their athletes. Reports indicate that head coach Ryan Day was significantly involved in fundraising efforts.

The unregulated transfer portal and NIL have allowed a new era of “unrestricted free agency” to emerge, letting teams fully retool their rosters. Ohio State took full advantage, adding quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State and standout wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but also saw some returning players choose to stay in Columbus rather than transfer or enter the NFL Draft.

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Jack Sawyer, a standout defensive end and team captain, has been a pivotal player for the Buckeyes. Over the offseason, he dedicated his time to encouraging as many teammates as he could to come back for an additional year. He shared that the program has brought “great opportunities” from NIL all season.

However, Day was quick to dismiss claims that it played a big role in the Buckeyes’ championship win.

“You can say whatever you want about – people talked a lot about how much money guys were making in NIL and different things like that. That was just because NIL was available. The majority of our team came back. These guys have been here for a long time.”

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