COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University Department of Athletics announced it is projecting a $107 million budget deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
None of Ohio State's 36 sports will be cut, the university said.
To save $7 million, the university is issuing furloughs, salary cuts and layoffs:
- 48 members of the athletic training staff and strength and conditioning staff will have a 5-day intermittent furlough, to be completed between Oct. 6 and June 30, 2021;
- 213 staff members are assigned to a 10-day intermittent furlough, to be completed between Oct. 6 and June 30, 2021;
- 84 staff members will go on a 60-day, continuous furlough or redeployment from Oct. 9 through Dec. 31;
- 47 contracted staff members will be asked to take a voluntary, 5 percent salary reduction between Oct. 1 and June 30, 2021; and
- A permanent reduction in force will eliminate 25 full-time athletics positions.
The university is restructuring debt to save $9.6 million, and cutting sports and administration operating budgets to save $10.1 million.
The budget does not include any revenue from media rights that it still being worked out by the Big Ten and media partners.
The budget for Fiscal Year 2021 was already cut by $5.6 million before this announcement.
Those savings were made by a hiring freeze, not filling open positions, no merit increases, no travel and pausing some projects.
Ohio State Athletics said it is one of about 20 athletic departments across the country to not receive money from the university, tax dollars or student fees.
The department said the assumed revenue below totals about $73 million for Fiscal Year 2021:
- $28.6 million, development;
- $13.4 million, NCAA and Big Ten basketball tournaments, and bowl game distribution;
- $5.8 million, IMG/Learfield partnership;
- $4.6 million, endowment and investment income;
- $4.6 million, Ohio State University Golf Course;
- $2 million, trademark and licensing;
- $1.7 million, camps and clinics; and
- -$1.1 million, limited home men’s basketball season.
