Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson called out Ohio State’s basketball spending during a Buckeyes game against Virginia on Saturday night. Johnson joked that Ohio State has “given all the money to Ryan Day,” the school’s head football coach who is making $12.58 million a year.
After Johnson and color commentator Jim Jackson talked about how Virginia (now ranked No. 14 in the AP poll) rebuilt its roster effectively for year one of the Ryan Odom coaching regime, Johnson noted that the Cavaliers spent money to make that happen in the NIL era, while Ohio State focuses on allocating its resources to the football side.
“But the difference between UVA and Ohio State is that UVA paid for it,” Johnson said. “Ohio State, they’ve given all the money to Ryan Day.”
“I’m going to have to call President (Ted) Carter and ask him if he can just show some love in the pocketbooks for the Buckeyes’ basketball team,” Johnson added.
On Monday, Ohio State head basketball coach Jake Diebler was asked by the media about Johnson’s comments.
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler is asked about Gus Johnson’s comments on Saturday regarding the #Buckeyes giving all of the money to football and the challenges of putting together this roster. pic.twitter.com/nPx9i9RQD0
— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) February 16, 2026
“Listen, there’s a lot there,” Diebler said. “And I think there’s a lot we’ve got to understand. First and foremost, all information isn’t accurate information. There’s an element to NIL that’s hidden. And so everything you see or read, regardless of who it’s from, we’re not speaking specifically to us right now, there’s a lot of inaccurate information out there.”
“Ohio State is a really special place,” Diebler continued. “Part of what makes Ohio State special is the fact that we’ve got a big-time athletic department that strives for excellence in 36 sports. And there’s no question that football is a major, major financial driver to the operation here. The other thing that is also true is that I know [Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork], his team, myself, we are working, and really have been working relentlessly to continue to push and increase our NIL situation. This landscape has been evolving right in front of our eyes. That plays a factor.”
“There’s a time and place after the season to really take a deep dive into this year in regard to some of those details, but right now is not it,” Diebler added. “But I am excited about what’s ahead for us. When it comes to NIL, what’s done is done this year.”
Ohio State is 16-9 this season and 8-6 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes are currently viewed as a bubble team in the March Madness picture and last made the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.