New athletic director, Bjork, steps into his biggest role yet

Lauryn Luderman
Wed, 17 Jan 2024 02:01:09 +0000
Football, Instagram Page, News, Sports, Athletic Director, Gene Smith, new athletic director, Ohio State Athletic Director, Ohio State athletics, Ole Miss, Ross bjork, Texas A&M, Western Kentucky

Ohio State has hired a new athletic director, Ross Bjork, Tuesday. Credit: Lantern File Photo

Ohio State hired its ninth athletic director in school history, which was announced Tuesday in a press release from university President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. — Ross Bjork, who currently awaits official approval by the board of trustees in February.?

“The college athletics landscape is changing each day, and Ohio State was firmly committed to finding an athletics director who would lead us with confidence and innovative thinking into the future,” Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the university’s board of trustees, said. “Ross Bjork possesses all the qualities we had envisioned – and more – and I am thrilled to welcome him to our Buckeye family.”

Bjork’s past in intercollegiate athletics spans 30-plus years, however, Ohio State will be his largest, most revenue-generating program yet.?

Most recently, Bjork has been with Texas A&M since 2019. With 20 teams — including equestrian, which is not a Buckeye sport — and 643 athletes, the Aggies generated $193,139,619 in revenue in 2022, which was a 9% decrease from 2017, according to Knight New House data.

In terms of expenses, the Texas A&M athletic department spends $177,671,900?across various necessary funds. Its program ranks No. 7 in the nation in NCAA finances — revenue and expenses — across all conferences, whereas Ohio State ranks first, according to USA Today.?

Bjork will enter an athletic department made up of 36 sports and 973 athletes.?

In 2022, Ohio State athletics brought in $251,615, 345, which was a 36% revenue increase compared to 2017. It spent $227,906,141 in various expenses.?

Bjork spent two years at Western Kentucky University before taking the athletic director and vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics role for seven seasons at the University of Mississippi. Following this tenure, Bjork went to Texas A&M, where he has been for five years.?

He graduated from Emporia University in Kansas in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration before enrolling at Western Illinois University to earn a master’s in athletic administration.

Following Gene Smith’s departure at the end of June, Bjork will officially be instated as the Ohio State athletic director July 1.?