Ohio State University’s athletic director, Ross Bjork, announced that the school will be adding 91 scholarships for the next school year in response to the changing landscape of college sports. This includes the introduction of player payments and new roster limits across all sports. The scholarships will total $20.5 million, which is allowed as part of a lawsuit settlement that mandated major changes to the college sports model.
Bjork stated that Ohio State will maintain all 36 of its sports programs and believes that the new investment in scholarships will allow the programs to continue competing for championships while upholding excellence. The shift from scholarship limits to roster sizes will give schools the ability to offer scholarships to all players on their rosters, potentially resulting in more scholarships for schools that are willing to fund them.
While the details of where the new scholarships will be allocated were not disclosed, Bjork emphasized the need for continued innovation in finding ways to finance these changes. This includes exploring naming-rights opportunities across campus and revising the football season-ticket plan to accommodate more Buckeye fans.
Bjork called for the commitment and support of everyone involved with Ohio State athletics to ensure the long-term success of the programs. The move towards increasing scholarships reflects a broader trend in college sports towards providing more financial support to student-athletes.
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