Ohio State is spending nearly $4 million in guarantees for two nonconference football games this year.
The school owes $1.9 million to both Ball State and Kent State for their visits to Ohio Stadium, according to game contracts obtained by The Dispatch through public records requests.
The Buckeyes open against the Cardinals on Sept. 5 and host the Golden Flashes on Sept. 19. The games against the Mid-American Conference schools bookend their highly anticipated trip to Texas on Sept. 12.
The $3.8 million in combined guarantee payouts to Ball State and Kent State surpass last year's total. Ohio State spent $2.9 million on guarantee games last season, paying $1 million to Grambling State of the Football Championship Subdivision and $1.9 million to Ohio.
The Bobcats are members of the MAC.
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The price tag for scheduling MAC opponents has pushed closer to $2 million in recent years. Western Michigan received $1.85 million from Ohio State for its visit in 2024. The Buckeyes spent just over $4 million on their three nonconference opponents, which included Akron and Western Michigan, two years ago.
The games against Ball State and Kent State this year are expected to be lopsided. Neither has finished with a winning record since 2020 and 2021, respectively, and both were near the bottom of the MAC’s preseason poll. The Golden Flashes were picked to finish eighth and the Cardinals 11th out of the league’s 13 teams.
The programs are early in rebuilds under new coaches with Ball State’s Mike Uremovich and Kent State’s Mark Carney entering their second seasons. Uremovich arrived from Butler last year, and Carney was promoted from interim coach in October.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State spending nearly $4M in guarantees for 2 nonconference games
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