COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Big Ten Conference’s decision to play only conference games this fall will resonate across the Midwest. Every unplayed football game is a stab to that Big Ten university’s local economy. Ohio State, for example, brought in over $50 million in football ticket sales for itself in 2018 and millions of more dollars to the greater Columbus community. Yet the impact will also be felt throughout smaller athletic programs in Ohio, Michigan and elsewhere. Of the Big Ten’s 36 scheduled non-conference games for 2020, 11 were against Mid-American Conference opponents. The Buckeyes were scheduled to play both Bowling Green and Buffalo, paying out guarantees of $1.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Considering the MAC’s media rights deal is worth a reported $10 million annually — split between all 12 member schools — those payouts from OSU and others significantly impact their opponents’ bottom line. According to USA…
Continue Reading: Ohio State, other Big Ten football programs who supported MAC for years are not villains today: Buckeye Take
