Ohio State paying $2.6M for non-conference home games, its lowest amount since 2016

Ohio State is due to spend $2.6 million in combined payouts for upcoming nonconference games against Youngstown State and Western Kentucky, according to copies of the game contracts obtained by The Columbus Dispatch through public records requests.

It is scheduled to give $800,000 to Youngstown State, which visits Ohio Stadium on Saturday, while it is to pay $1.8 million to the Hilltoppers, who come to Columbus the following weekend.

The total of the guaranteed appearance fees is the smallest shelled out by the Buckeyes for a nonconference schedule since they paid out a combined $2.01 million to Bowling Green and Tulsa in 2016. No nonconference games were held in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The lower total results from Ohio State replacing San Jose State with Youngstown State. The matchup with the Penguins of the Football Championship Subdivision costs $1 million less than one with the Spartans. OSU did not owe SJSU damages as the cancellation was mutual.

Both San Jose State and Western Kentucky belong to Group of Five leagues within the Football Bowl Subdivision between the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA.

The guarantee to Youngstown State is the smallest for Ohio State since it paid $375,000 to Cincinnati in 2019 after multiple postponements in the series.

Most guarantee games run seven-figures and are increasingly approaching $2 million. All of the so-called buy games on the Buckeyes’ schedule beyond this season, are at least $1.8 million with Connecticut set to receive as much as $1.95 million for a meeting in 2025.

Ohio State paid out $1.8 million in guarantees each to Arkansas State and Toledo last season.

The payouts to Youngstown State and Western Kentucky are due by the end of February, as outlined in the terms of the agreements.