Ryan Day’s Future Back in Spotlight After Report Says He Considered Leaving Ohio State

“Yeah, I’d actually written a story in The Dispatch, my former employer, um, in January after the championship. I kind of knew about some of the stuff that was going on, but Nina Day and the Days didn’t want to touch it then for obvious reasons. They were smart not to, that the family had endured, and it’s shameful, honestly. And yet as it’s kind of known, the lunatic fringe of Ohio State fanbase is certainly not a majority, but Ohio State fanbase is so big, even like the lunatic fringe, if you say one percent, that’s still a large number. And yeah, they were ready to leave Columbus. I don’t believe Ohio State would have fired him, but I do believe the Days were ready to go. Um, then the championship run happened.” Rabinowitz said in the interview.

Day led Ohio State through a six-week stretch in the College Football Playoff that wrapped up with the program’s first national championship since 2014. The Buckeyes defeated Tennessee 42-17, Oregon 41-21, Texas 28-14 and Notre Dame 34-23 to secure the title a season ago.

How Championship Run Changed Everything for Day Family in Columbus

After the national championship win, Ohio State and Day agreed to a new seven-year contract in principle through the 2031 season that will pay $12.5 million in total annual compensation. The deal extended his contract three years and positioned Day as one of only three current collegiate head coaches with a national championship.

With an overall record of 78-10 at the time of this report, he began the 2025 season with rejuvenated backing from the fanbase and administration in pursuit of back-to-back national championships with a largely rebuilt roster that features several new starters.

Day has said publicly that he does not have any interest in leaving Ohio State to take another college job, but he has left the door only slightly open for an NFL opportunity in the future.