Ohio State has secured its future on the sidelines, announcing that head coach Ryan Day has agreed to a seven-year contract extension.
The deal, which runs through the 2031 season, will elevate Day’s salary to approximately $12.5 million per year, placing him among the top three highest-paid coaches in college football.
Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork praised Day’s impact on the program, emphasizing his leadership both on and off the field.
“Ohio State Football has long been defined by excellence and, under Ryan Day’s leadership, that tradition has not only continued, but thrived,” Bjork said in a statement.
“As a leader, mentor and coach, Ryan has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the success and well-being of our players, both on and off the field.
“His leadership has maintained our position of national prominence each year and winning the 2024 national championship validated his program’s culture of excellence, integrity, and perseverance.”
The contract extension comes on the heels of a triumphant 2024 season in which Day guided the Buckeyes to a 14-2 record and their first national championship since 2014.
Ohio State capped off its title run with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship, following decisive wins over SEC powerhouse Tennessee and top-seeded Oregon.
While Day is securing his long-term future at Ohio State, the broader college football landscape remains in flux.
Major changes – including the House vs. NCAA settlement, which effectively transforms amateur athletics by allowing schools to allocate budgets for player compensation – are reshaping the sport.
Meanwhile, coaches across the country are calling for reforms to the transfer portal, hoping to tighten the window in which players can switch programs.
But for Day, the most pressing concern isn’t just new rules – it’s the lack of enforcement for the ones already in place.
Appearing on The Joel Klatt Show, Day pointed to a growing culture of complete disregard for regulations in the sport.
“One of the biggest problems we have in college football right now is enforcement,” Day told Klatt. “And I’m not talking about tampering. I’m just saying in general.
“Any rule right now. The enforcement just isn’t there. There’s a generation of young coaches that are coming up in this profession that are saying, ‘Why do I follow the rules?’
“There needs to start becoming some sort of penalties for breaking the rules. Otherwise we’re going to have a generation of young coaches that just see what’s going on across college football and continue to do that and have a disregard for any rule.”
Day has voiced similar concerns before.
In January, he spoke on The Dan Patrick Show following revelations that Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had been offered a multi-million dollar deal to enter the transfer portal.
“Until we start enforcing some of these rules, like you said, people can just call someone’s agent or someone’s parents and offer them a certain amount of money, and then it goes from there. That’s just part of it,” he said.
As college football continues to evolve, Ohio State has made a clear statement by locking in Day as its leader.
But even as the Buckeyes celebrate their championship and build toward the future, their head coach remains wary of the challenges facing the sport.
What are your thoughts on Day’s interesting comments???
