COLUMBUS, Ohio — Athletic Director Gene Smith is heading into his final season with the Buckeyes.
In August, he announced that he will retire at the end of June next year.
Smith leads one of the largest and most successful athletic programs in the country and is one of the most influential ADs nationwide.
Through his 18-year tenure at The Ohio State University, Smith had highs and lows and memories that he will treasure most.
“There’s going to be so many moments that I make sure I take the time to enjoy and savor,” he said.
Smith is stepping down as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington join the Big Ten amid a rapidly changing landscape in college football in which Smith has been heavily involved with.
During a sit-down interview, Smith said he predicts the conference could go even bigger before this decade is done.
Smith says the reason to retire was personal: to be a more present father and grandfather. But until that retirement countdown clock zeroes out, Smith said there is much to do in his remaining time at Ohio State.
“We have to raise money for our women's ice hockey facility, we’re doing a study for the Woody Hayes Athletic Center,” Smith said regarding the new space needed for the growing athletics programs.
He also talked about the NIL and budget challenges the next OSU AD will likely face.
“I'm concerned about our current model of intercollegiate athletics, the funding model, whether it's sustainable, it's probably not,” Smith said. “We have I think, four lawsuits out there right now around pay-for-play revenue. I don't know what that's going to happen with those but those could be significant costs that we might have to incur based upon how those lawsuits.”
Smith also described some of the more challenging times of his career at Ohio State.
Watch the full interview with Gene Smith: