Tag: Ohio State Athletics

Ross Bjork offically begins assignment as new Ohio State Athletic Director

First day on the job! #GoBucks

As one chapter closes a new one begins. Gene Smith wrapped up his farewell tour as athletic director at The Ohio State University on June 30. Smith was the overseer of OSU athletics ending a 19-year that began in March of 2005. On Monday, July 1, the Ross Bjork era officially began.

Bjork comes from Texas A&M where he served as the Aggies athletic director since 2019. The announcement was made in January and while Bjork has been fulfilling his duties in College Station, it’s without a doubt that he has been in the mix of things happening in Columbus.

Bjork posted on X (formerly Twitter) about what Buckeye Nation can expect from him as he takes over for Smith.

“As I get started on July 1, the only promises I will make will be based on three things: 1) I will work at my maximum effort every single day for you and our student-athletes. 2) I will carry myself with a positive attitude and humble confidence about who we are, what we stand for, and how we do it. 3) I will embrace and cherish our role in supporting our student-athletes while being a great steward of the treasured assets within Buckeye Athletics and Business Advancement.”

Known as a fundraiser, it will be a huge part of Bjork’s job to increase Ohio State’s name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, and impact to stay competitive in this new college landscape. Gene Smith has done an excellent job of setting the table for the new A.D.

Bjork will be the ninth athletic director in Ohio State history and takes over the largest athletic budget in the nation.

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Ohio State names new Director of Athletics

In case you missed it, Ohio State has its man! #GoBucks

Gene Smith announced that he would be stepping down as the Ohio State University Athletic Director in August of 2023. After an extensive search, the University announced that Ross Bjork will take over the athletic department beginning on July 1, 2024.

Bjork comes from Texas A&M where he has served in the same role since 2019. Bjork will officially be introduced as the new AD at a press conference scheduled for noon on Wednesday. In the Ohio State press release, Bjork had this to say about coming to Columbus.

“I have been extraordinarily fortunate to work with so many outstanding student-athletes, coaches, staff, and university leaders throughout my career, and Ohio State represents the culmination of these efforts,” Bjork said in Ohio State’s release. “To be a part of Buckeye Nation, along with its storied traditions and long history of achievement, is a tremendous honor and a welcome challenge. I can’t wait to get started.”

Bjork will take over for Smith who has spent the last 19 years leading athletics at OSU. Known as a fundraiser, it will be a huge part of his job to increase Ohio State’s Name, image and likeness (NIL), opportunities and impact to stay competitive in this new college landscape.

At one point, it was thought that Washington State’s Pat Chun who is also an OSU alum, was the frontrunner to land the job, but ultimately, trustees felt more comfortable with Bjork. New Ohio State University President, Ted Carter, seems to be extremely excited about the new addition.

 “The bar is incredibly high at Ohio State, and we have found in Ross a highly intelligent and effective leader – not to mention a fierce competitor.”

Bjork will be the ninth athletic director in Ohio State history and takes over the largest athletic budget in the nation.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

WATCH: Several Ohio State athletes call for unity and change in powerful video

Several diverse Ohio State student-athletes composed a short, yet powerful video calling for unity and change. Watch it here.

It’s not the first — and thankfully — it won’t be the last. A few Ohio State athletes from different backgrounds and cultures put together a video that was shared on several OSU athletics’ social media platforms last week. It was a call for unity, quality, and change.

You can get a look at the video for yourself below, but first, the complete message from these diverse athletes.

“More than 1,000 of us come from cities and countrysides spanning more than 25 nations. We are shaped by many different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. But together, we are one. Together as Buckeyes. In this time of fear, uncertainty, anguish, and unrest … As Ohio State student-athletes, we use our platform to call for unity and equality for all. Join us. Fight for change.”

Watch the short, yet powerful video below.

 

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Ohio State changes ticket policies in response to COVID-19 pandemic

Ohio State announced changes to its ticketing policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic that will go into effect this fall.

According to a release appearing on the Ohio State Buckeyes website, there will be changes implemented for ticketing policies beginning this fall. As you can probably guess, it’s a result of responses to the modeling that makes sense for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mobile-only ticketing

Starting with football tickets this season, Ohio State will be moving to a mobile-only ticketing model. Fans can access their ticket online, transfer to family and friends, utilize Buckeyes TicketExchange, or donate tickets to charity. Mobile tickets will be available for fans to access as soon as they have selected their seats for the 2020 season and are paid in full. Options for fans without smartphones will be announced at a later date.

“We are excited to implement digital-only ticketing at our venues and believe it will help us achieve the goal of providing a safe game day experience for everyone,” Diana Sabau, Deputy Athletics Director, said in the statement. “Digital ticketing will allow for contactless entry for fans while also providing flexibility to easily manage their tickets. It will also allow us to better respond to the dynamics surrounding COVID-19 and our increased safety precautions.”

More information on accessing and managing mobile tickets can be found by visiting Ohio State’s Digital Ticketing Guide.

Season Ticket Final Renewal Deadline is Friday, May 29

After being extended twice earlier this spring, the final deadline to renew season tickets according to the release is Friday, May 29. They can be renewed by clicking here, where fans can also opt-in to a payment plan Those options include payment installments extended into August.

Seat Selection Process

The seat selection process will be changing to the following enhancements:

    • Seats selected will only be for one year.
    • Seating for the 2020 season will be based on models that account for appropriate physical distancing within Ohio Stadium.
    • The timeline for seat selection will be adjusted to allow time for conference, state, and local officials to clarify physical distancing guidelines to provide the safest environment for fans while also maximizing allowable attendance.
    • Seat selection windows will be communicated via email at least five business days prior to the first selection window opening, at which time fans will have the opportunity to preview available seats.
    • The planned reseating of Ohio Stadium under the 2020 Seat Selection Process will now occur prior to the 2021 season for all eligible accounts.

Ticket Assurance Plan

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty surrounding the season, season ticket holders will have the option to receive a refund for any canceled game tickets, receive a credit toward a future ticket purchase, or donate their season or individual game ticket payment(s) to support student-athlete scholarships. This guarantee will apply to all ticketed athletic events.

All of these changes are aimed at providing fans with a level of confidence as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds and as the Ohio State Department of Athletics continues to follow the advice and directives of the Governor, University leadership, health experts and medical officials.

Ohio State ticket office contact information

Since the Ohio State ticket office is currently closed due to the pandemic, should you need to get in touch with any questions, you can make contact by three methods.

  1. By E-mail: Contact the ticket office by emailing athletic.tix@osu.edu. Emails will be monitored throughout the day to ensure a timely response.
  2. By Phone: Our main phone number, 1-800-GO-BUCKS (1-800-462-8257), will be monitored by the ticket office team Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outside of these hours, you may leave a voicemail for a return call the following business day. You may also contact the Buckeye Club at (614) 292-9908 or the President’s Club at (614) 292-9550 with additional questions.
  3. Live Chat: Chat with a representative by clicking here. Representatives will be available to answer questions Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Ohio State athletic department lost money last year

Despite showing almost over $210 Million in revenue last year, the Ohio State athletic department actually lost money according to a report.

The Ohio State athletic department is one of the biggest and richest in the country and regularly pulls in one of the top revenues of any program annually. That was no different last year, as Ohio State raked in over $210 Milion dollars in total revenue, as reported to the NCAA.

Unlike previous years though, this year that revenue did not cover the expenses to operate the department. According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State finished in the red because of expenses reported as $220.6 Million. Though accounting practices and bookkeeping show a much larger downfall, the loss was actually under $1 Million instead of the approximate $10 Million said school administrators.

There are several reasons for the shortfall, but declining revenue from ticket prices, funding for facilities improvements, recording of donations, and the investigation into the Zach Smith saga all contributed. The fiscal year in question ran from July 1, 2018 through August 31, 2019.

The last time Ohio State recorded a loss to the NCAA was in 2009 when it had a shortfall of just $148,037. It then went on an almost ten-year run of finishing with a surplus.

This sounds like more like a product of circumstances rather than an issue with the fiscal responsibility of the university. If it happens two or three years in a row, then maybe there’s more cause for concern.

 

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Caronavirus has not struck in Central Ohio, but if it did, how would Ohio State athletics react?

Miami (OH) has postponed two basketball games while it awaits results on potential Caronavirus exposure. What if it happened at Ohio State?

Let me be clear here that there are no confirmed reports of Caronavirus in Central Ohio. However, with some news filtering in on other sporting events that have already been affected, the chance is there that it could impact Ohio State athletics should the virus be found in and around the OSU campus.

We’ve already seen Miami (OH) postpone both a men’s and women’s basketball game while it awaits test results to see if a couple of students who had recently traveled to China are positive for the virus. Those results are expected later this week.  In addition, there are confirmed reports that the Chinese women’s soccer team is now being quarantined in Brisbane, Australia in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

So, the virus that’s getting so much attention in the media is already impacting the sporting world. It’s not a major impact, but that could change if things spread further.

But what if the Caronavirus did make its way to Central Ohio? One would have to assume that further steps would have to be taken, and that it would have an impact on athletic events at Ohio State if the virus hit close enough to home.

Since inquiring minds want to know, we reached out to the Ohio State athletic department to see if they had a comment on the matter. As it stands now, it appears as though things are status quo, but that could change based on information from health officials.

“We are not considering anything like that at this time because there are no cases in Central Ohio and the recommendation of our local, state and federal public health officials is that no changes in activities are necessary,” said an OSU athletic department spokesman.

That all makes sense, and hopefully there’s no reason to have to act further. You can bet OSU officials are on top of things should anything similar happen at Ohio State.

Buckeyes Wire has a forum now! Join in.

We now have a message board at Buckeyes Wire. Join in on the fun.

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