, leaving Ohio State and others without nearly all revenue from ticket sales, often the top money-making source.
In recent fiscal years, OSU’s athletic department has reported around $50 million in revenue from the sale of tickets to football games as it packs Ohio Stadium, a venue seating more than 100,000 fans and serving as the third-largest stadium in the country. In the 2021 fiscal year, it reported only $25,614 from football ticket revenue.
The trend is expected to continue, as Ohio State’s introduction of annual preferred seat contributions for football tickets has added to the revenue growth. The Big Ten’s latest media rights agreements, including new network partners in CBS and NBC, along with FOX, takes effect later this year. Audited revenue and expense figures from the current 2023 fiscal year, running through June, will not be available until early next year. The department provides annual financial reports to the NCAA.