Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork didn’t rule out the possibility of selling the naming rights to Ohio Stadium.
College football stadiums and bowl games have increasingly partnered with corporate sponsors. Teams can now place advertising sponsors on their uniform patches and logos on the field, and the Big 12 is reportedly even considering selling its name.
The Blade‘s David Briggs asked Bjork about how he plans to juggle his quest for revenue with maintaining tradition as he begins his tenure at Ohio State.
“I always think of a phrase: Let’s make sure we protect tradition, but not think traditionally,” Bjork said. “How do we sort of take that ideal and monetize it, commercialize it in the right way, yet know that we have this economic engine that we have to feed, and it’s only going to grow and we’re only going to have to find more [revenue]? There’s always a tasteful way that you can integrate sponsors — commercialization, if you will — where it’s not putting it in everybody’s face.”
Two years ago, Ohio State named Safelite AutoGlass the first-ever on-field sponsor for its prestigious football venue. Yet the Ohio Stadium name has lasted for a century.
Could Bjork sell off naming rights to The Horseshoe? He wouldn’t commit to preserving the status quo.
“Yeah, obviously, there’s a lot of historic value in that and what that means,” he said. “If you go back to how they raised the money to build the stadium, every county contributed, and they did not want to take away from state dollars or tuition dollars. If that ever has to get put on the table, it’s the same conversation. At this point in time, you can never say never on anything. You have to put everything on the table, and then you evaluate it and make the best decision for the institution.”
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