Ohio State's athletic department has been growing fast since Ross Bjork took over two years ago. He just revealed how big he thinks it is going to get.

Bjork told the Columbus Dispatch that Ohio State will reach a $500 million annual operating budget at some point in the near future.

"It could happen in three years from now. It could happen two years from now or five years from now," Bjork said, per the Columbus Dispatch. "But we will have a $500 million athletic budget at some point in time very soon."

Bjork is the person in charge of this department, and he is projecting this with the kind of confidence that comes from watching the numbers move in real time.

For the first time ever, Ohio State's athletic department crossed $300 million in revenue. FY2025 brought in $336.1 million. That is up from $279.5 million just two years ago, per the university's NCAA financial report, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

A bunch of things came together to make that happen. Ticket sales went up. It rose to $81,650,892 from $58,788,651 in FY 2024, a year that featured just six home football games, according to Ohio State News.

With the patches on jerseys alongside Nike and Big Ten logos, the sponsorships got bigger. Media rights revenue from television and radio increased to $64,917,009, up from $52,794,280 during the same period a year earlier, after the football team won the national championship in 2024.

As Ohio State under Bjork is on its way to hit a new milestone, the athletic director's focus is on the expansion of the program.

Ohio State is also planning a $125 million football facility renovation

The budget news does not stop at projections. Ohio State is also planning $125 million in upgrades to its football facility, according to the Buckeye Sports Bulletin.

The Buckeyes will temporarily move out of the facility during construction and use the nearby Fawcett Center while putting temporary structures in place.

“A new office complex, a new weight room would be part of the new construction," he said. "The rest would be really a total renovation."

Select donors have already committed to helping fund the renovation. However, Ohio State has not yet reached its funding threshold. Bjork said getting the project out to the public is the next important step.

The program is around 18 months away from breaking ground.

Bjork is also looking at what can be done with the Schottenstein Center, Ohio State's basketball arena. The university is currently collecting data from fans about the future of the building.

The survey is focused on whether Ohio State can add premium or experiential seating options for fans. That is another avenue the department is exploring to keep revenue climbing toward that $500 million mark.

Do you think Ohio State will become the first program to hit a $500 million athletic budget? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar