Ohio State Buckeyes' Value Among All NCAA Teams Revealed

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been one of the most dominant football teams in the NCAA. How does that on-field success translate in a potential sale?

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates with the trophy following the 34-23 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 22, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been one of the most dominant football programs in the entire NCAA. Not only have they found great success historically, but they've recently established themselves as perhaps the strongest school in the sport, capped off by their 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.

With a crop of elite returning players, including 2025 Heisman candidate Jeremiah Smith, and an impressive incoming recruiting class, the Buckeyes are slated to contend for the title again in this upcoming season. There are a few question marks along the roster, particularly with Will Howard's vacant starting quarterback slot, but Head Coach Ryan Day leading his team to a repeat wouldn't shock anybody.

Put simply, Ohio State is one of the most valuable programs in the NCAA, past, present, and future. College football teams currently can't be sold, but schools like Florida State University and Boise State have made ventures that could open the door to future sales.

Ohio State Buckeyes ranked as the third-most financially valuable program in the NCAA

The Athletic's Matt Baker recently released his rankings on which NCAA football teams would theoretically sell for the most money. As dominant as they've been, it was no surprise seeing the Ohio State Buckeyes placed top three:

"Our initial numbers would have put the Buckeyes sixth at $1.5 billion, but that’s where the art part of this exercise enters the mix. Ohio State’s income was weighed down by a 2023 season with only six home games, and it takes time for a spike from last season’s national championship run to show up on the balance sheet. The Buckeyes are also the sport’s most recession-proof program with only one losing season in the past 35 years."

The piece also stated that Ohio State's football program currently generates an average annual revenue of $116 million, leading to its $1.90 billion valuation from The Athletic. This quote put the Buckeyes behind only the Georgia Bulldogs at $1.92 billion and the Texas Longhorns at a massive $2.38 billion. Ohio State will be hoping to increase its value with another championship this season.