Ohio State, Nike agree on $252M sponsorship extension

The Ohio State Buckeyes have earned bragging rights on the football field after winning at least 12 games in each of the last four seasons under head coach Urban Meyer and winning last year’s inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the program’s second straight year on top of those rankings.

According to the Wall Street Journal, in the $252 million deal, Ohio State will receive $112 million worth of Nike products and $103 million in cash.

Ohio State and Nike say the contract will benefit the entire university. Both were then-collegiate sports sponsorship records.

The Buckeyes and the apparel company are going to be linked for awhile. Locker rooms at major university programs have turned into modern-day country clubs to attract the most sought-after recruits. The Longhorns reached a 15-year agreement with the global shoe and apparel company worth $250 million in late October. Michigan, too, aligned itself with the “Jumpman” logo of Nike’s Jordan Brand in August to entice athletes who could possibly shape its program.

Nike declined to comment on the news.

Neither Nike nor Ohio State would confirm the reported numbers, but the school’s athletic director said it was in fact the largest deal. Ohio State confirmed the deal on Thursday. “We’re proud to make Nike products available for our student-athletes”.

The majority of the benefits begin in 2018 and 2019.