Ohio State Announces Final Decision On Its 36 Varsity Sports

Just days removed from the NCAA's landmark House settlement that will allow universities to directly pay their athletes, Ohio State has made it clear how it plans to move forward.

Judge Claudia Wilken approved the billion-dollar legislation on Friday which will go into effect July 1. And while the settlement doesn't require schools to revenue share, power conferences will be able to operate under a roughly $20 million salary cap in the first year of the new model.

That's exactly what the Buckeyes will do, says OSU athletic director Ross Bjork. And it won't just apply to the university's storied football program.

"The signing of the House settlement Friday by Judge Claudia Wilken will reshape collegiate athletics," Bjork said in a statement. "Ohio State and schools around the country will now be permitted to directly compensate student-athletes through revenue sharing, which is actually institutional NIL rights."

"The Department of Athletics will fully fund the revenue sharing program, which will total $20.5 million and includes funding for additional scholarships for both women's and men's sports," he continued. "We remain committed to maintaining the student-athlete model, offering 36 intercollegiate sports and providing scholarships to all 36."

According to reports, the majority of that cap will be allocated to football — which will be anywhere from $13 to $16 million — with the rest of the money being spread across the other varsity Division-I sports.