The payouts are set for Ohio State’s three most recently scheduled games.
Ohio State will pay $1.6 million to Marshall in 2024 and $1.8 million to both Nevada and Charlotte in 2029 for those teams to play the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in games that were announced earlier this month, according to the game contracts obtained by Eleven Warriors.
The Buckeyes will pay Marshall less than its other two non-conference opponents in 2024, as Ohio State is set to pay Southern Miss $1.9 million for its Aug. 31 season opener at Ohio Stadium and $1.8 million to Western Michigan for its second game of the 2024 season on Sept. 7.
Marshall will come to Ohio Stadium on Sept. 21, replacing the Buckeyes’ previously scheduled game against Washington after Ohio State canceled its scheduled home-and-home with Washington in February. While Ohio State will have to pay Washington a $500,000 cancellation fee in addition to the $1.6 million it is paying Marshall, OSU will more than make up for that in revenue by playing eight home games at the Shoe instead of only seven.
Ohio State’s scheduled payouts to Nevada and Charlotte are in line with what OSU will pay other Group of 5 opponents to play at the Shoe in upcoming seasons. Ohio State is set to pay $1.95 million to UConn to play at Ohio Stadium in 2025 and $1.9 million to both Ball State and Kent State to play in Columbus in 2026. Bowling Green will be paid $1.8 million to travel to Columbus in 2027 while Buffalo will be paid $1.9 million to play at the Shoe in 2028.
This year, the Buckeyes will pay only $800,000 to Youngstown State (an FCS school) for its first non-conference game of the season but will pay $1.8 million to Western Kentucky for its trip to the Shoe one week later.
The full contracts for the Marshall, Nevada and Charlotte games can be found below.
