The Ohio State Buckeyes have surpassed 1,000 name, image and likeness deals in the 12 months since the NCAA established an NIL rule on July 1, 2021.
According to tag24.com, the school now leads in the most student-athletes signed to endorsements and the most overall money earned for its sports stars.
After the NCAA's NIL rule went into effect, a slew of endorsement announcements immediately followed — from large-scale NFT and Nike partnerships to local restaurant and car dealership deals between athletes and brands. By early June, Ohio State athletes across all 36 varsity sports had reached 900 deals totaling nearly $3.5 million over the last 11 months. Since then, that number has significantly risen.
Perhaps the highest-profile athlete on campus, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, partnered with a high-end luxury car dealer sponsorship, which allows him to drive a Mercedes Benz, according to tag24.com.
Including Stroud's, the Buckeyes have achieved more than 1,000 NIL deals, according to a university tweet, ranking first nationally in terms of student-athletes signed to endorsement deals and overall money accumulated from sponsors.
"While most schools were caught flat-footed, some schools got out in front," wrote tag24.com's Paris McGee, "the most successful being The Ohio State University."
