Gus Johnson Drops Harsh Truth About Ohio State's Lack of Investment in Basketball

Gus Johnson has stirred the pot.

During an Ohio State men's basketball game against the No. 15 nationally ranked Virginia Cavaliers, Johnson, who was on the broadcast, commented on the Buckeyes' inability to bring in high-level recruits and players due to a lack of funding for the team.

This season, the Buckeyes have underperformed, going 16-9 overall and 8-6 in the BIG Ten.

"The difference between UVA (Virginia) and Ohio State is… UVA paid for their players," Johnson said on the broadcast. "Ohio State gave all their money to Ryan Day.”

Johnson's claim isn't necessarily wrong, while it is frustrating to hear, as the Buckeyes recently signed Day to a seven-year, $12.5-million annually deal. The contract extension, which will run through the 2031 campaign, came after the football team won the national championship just last year.

While it's always good to lock down a coach as talented as Day, doing it at the expense of other teams' funding and ability to bring in transfers and high school recruits will cause frustration.

The program's highest-paid athlete is senior guard Bruce Thornton, who's been great this season, but in comparison, other top teams in the country have multiple Throntons on their roster to realistically compete for a deep run in March Madness.

Gus Johnson didn’t hold back 😳

“The difference between UVA and Ohio State is… UVA paid for their players. Ohio State gave all their money to Ryan Day.” 🎙️🔥 pic.twitter.com/viuV5ytPnG
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) February 15, 2026

Recent News From Athletic Director Ross Bjork

Fortunately, the comments from Johnson aren't anything that the Ohio State athletic department hasn't been aware of. Recently, athletic director Ross Bjork spoke to the media following concerns relating to the department's funding of teams outside of football.

Bjrok plans to see a bump in funding for men's basketball for the 2026-27 season.

"Basketball will have a bigger (revenue share) number next year. And then it's about, again, the race to build out third-party NIL opportunities is here," Bjork said. "We've done it on the football side and we're doing it on the basketball side.

"We've got to build that number up."

The Buckeyes haven't been able to find much success on the hardwood since NIL began running college football in recent years. Since the 2021-22 campaign, the Buckeyes have won 91 games and lost 69. They've also made it to the NCAA tournament just once, falling in the second round.

This season, they'll likely miss out on another appearance following a strugglesome campaign in conference action. They will be relying on an at-large bid to appear on the grandest stage of March Madness.

In hopes of maintaining a competitive athletic department across the board, investment in sports other than football will allow for them to become a more recognized university.

For now, though, the men's basketball team looks to finish the year on a high note. They'll take on the Wisconsin Badgers in BIG Ten action on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 8:30 p.m. on the road.