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Ohio State blows out Indiana, 38-15. Now, it's time to do the same to That Team Up North.
Ohio State football fans will have a new way to contribute to NIL endeavors this weekend – one that could involve a handsome return on investment.
At the Buckeyes' spring game on Saturday, a 50-50 raffle will be held inside Ohio Stadium, with net proceeds split between the winning ticket holder and Cohesion Foundation, a NIL collective that compensates Ohio State student-athletes in exchange for work and appearances for local businesses and charities.
Cohesion Foundation is honored to announce that we are the OFFICIAL 50/50 Raffle partner of @OhioStAthletics. We appreciate your support of our purpose-driven NIL mission!
— Cohesion Foundation (@cohesionohio) April 13, 2023
Read more: https://t.co/0ZLgyYDW6u
We will see you Saturday for the @OhioStateFB Spring Game! #ALLinOSU pic.twitter.com/Jl0zrOeC6p
The raffle is a soft launch for what could become a regular occurrence at football, men's basketball and women's basketball games hosted by Ohio State, with hopes to eventually expand the endeavor to the Buckeyes' other varsity sports programs in the future.
“We are beyond excited for this great opportunity to have a fun raffle for fans and also continue to fundraise to support purpose-driven NIL and our Cohesion Foundation charities,” Cohesion founder Gary Marcinick said in the collective's press release. “Cohesion Foundation has been pairing student-athletes with Central Ohio charities for the past year, and we have seen the impact this has on not only the nonprofit they are helping but also the athlete.”
At the spring game, Ohio State fans can purchase raffle tickets from sellers wearing green vests with the Cohesion logo and “50/50 raffle” printed on the front. Raffle ticket sellers will have a device allowing the buyer to complete their purchase and have their numbers printed on a ticket. The sellers will accept cash, credit and debit payments. For those looking for a contact-free option, buyers can also purchase tickets with a QR code displayed at the game.
Raffle tickets will be sold at a rate of five for $10, 20 for $20, 85 for $40, and 400 for $100, with sales set to begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. The winning ticket number will be announced in the 4th quarter. Rafflebox, a certified and accredited digital platform that enables professional sports teams – such as the MLB's Cleveland Guardians – to create and manage high-volume raffles, will handle distributions of the raffle's pot to the winner and Cohesion.
Although 50-50 raffles are common for professional teams inside their stadiums, this will be the first time a raffle will be held in Ohio Stadium. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, only entities like charities, schools or community organizations can conduct raffles, and Cohesion qualifies as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. However, while donations to NIL collectives are tax-deductible, purchasing raffle tickets is not.
Ohio State's spring game will occur on Saturday at noon. The scrimmage will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network, with Chris Vosters, Joshua Perry and Brooke Fletcher on the call. Paul Keels and Jim Lachey will also provide radio coverage on 97.1 The Fan. Tickets for the spring game are still available on Ticketmaster and range from $7 for general admission seats to $15 and $30 for reserved seats.
