While some schools may be fretting this move towards player compensation, it might work out swimmingly for student-athletes going to Ohio State, at least the ones that have commercial appeal.
That’s because the campus sits smack dab in a large and bustling city with all sorts of corporate partnership opportunities. This isn’t Norman, Oklahoma or Ames Iowa, it’s the largest city in Ohio, and a top thirty-five media market. And while that’s not Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles, there’s a sweet spot there because of the interest in football.
Three Ohio cities landed among the top five in watching the 2020 NFL Draft, with Columbus leading the way in ratings for the entire nation. College football is king in Columbus and the athletes are treated like royalty.
That wasn’t lost on Ohio State either. Just hours after the NCAA released information with its support of player compensation for name, image, and likeness, Assistant Athletic Director of Player Personnel Mark Pantoni shared the following Tweet.
Big city. Best fan base. Endless possibilities. https://t.co/a0kB5IgOQA pic.twitter.com/5KMujazgX1
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) April 29, 2020
When this thing goes down, there will be plenty of endorsement and compensation opportunities in a large city that is married to significant public interest in college athletics. Perhaps no other program in the country offers as much.