Ohio State just posted a financial year for the record books - and it's no coincidence it came during a season when the Buckeyes were back on top of the college football world.
In fiscal year 2025, which spanned from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Ohio State’s athletic department pulled in a staggering $336,077,887 in revenue. That’s the highest single-year total in school history, and it came on the heels of a national championship run in football. After expenses, the department finished with a $15.7 million surplus, marking a significant rebound from the previous year’s deficit.
To understand how Ohio State got here, look no further than the gridiron. The 2024 football season featured nine home games - eight in the regular season and a first-round College Football Playoff matchup against Tennessee at the Horseshoe.
That added up to a major windfall at the ticket office. Football ticket sales alone brought in an extra $22.9 million compared to the previous year.
For a program where home Saturdays are already a spectacle, that additional game day revenue made a massive difference.
But it wasn’t just ticket sales driving the surge. Donor contributions hit an all-time high as well, with $68.2 million coming in from supporters - a notable jump from the $52.5 million raised the year before. That kind of backing shows just how energized the Buckeye community was by the team’s championship pursuit, and it speaks to the broader momentum around the entire athletic department.
Media rights also played a major role. In the second year of the Big Ten’s blockbuster seven-year, $7 billion media deal with FOX, CBS, and NBC, Ohio State saw its cut from television and radio rights grow from $52.8 million to $64.9 million. That’s a significant uptick, and it underscores how the ever-evolving media landscape continues to reshape the economics of college sports - especially for powerhouse programs like Ohio State.
Athletic director Ross Bjork acknowledged both the success and the challenges ahead in a statement, noting the importance of staying aggressive in generating new revenue while keeping a close eye on expenses. “As the collegiate athletics model continues to evolve, successfully navigating the financial landscape is a must,” Bjork said. “We will strive to be best in class by continuing to innovate and stay aggressive in generating new revenue streams while also managing our expenses as soundly as possible.”
It’s a message that rings true across the college sports world, where NIL, conference realignment, and expanded playoff formats are rewriting the rulebook in real time. For Ohio State, though, the formula in 2025 was clear: win big, fill the stadium, and keep the money flowing.
After a dip in FY2024, when the department brought in $254.9 million and ran a $38 million deficit, this bounce-back couldn’t have come at a better time. The previous revenue high - $279.5 million in FY2023 - now looks like a stepping stone.
With a national title in hand and the financial engine running at full throttle, Ohio State isn’t just winning on the field. It’s winning at the bank, too.