CJ Stroud makes pitch for B1G athletes to receive slice of shared revenue

CJ Stroud wanted B1G athletes to receive a portion of the revenue from the conference’s media rights deal.

Stroud, a redshirt sophomore at Ohio State, made a case for the athletes to benefit off the latest revenue deal in the B1G. He believed that the players should be compensated from the media rights deal. In his statement, Stroud wanted the schools to share the revenue with the players who help the schools make money (Via USA TODAY):

“I definitely think it should be shared,” Stroud said, “but if not, at the end of the day, we have the NIL space. We can do it that way. The new college world is turning around, and I’m here for it.”

He pointed out the current landscape of college football and how there was a possibility that players would not receive a slice of the pie from the schools. Stroud brought up the NIL deals for the players as something they can profit off of.

“This game is amazing, especially the college atmosphere, because it does have amateurism to it,” Stroud said. “That’s definitely a plus. But at the same time, I’m not 100% sure what our tuition is, but I’m sure it’s not the worth of what we’re actually worth. My mom has always told me to know my worth.”

Stroud wanted to receive what he was worth. On the other hand, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith did not support Stroud’s idea about sharing the revenue with the players:

Gene Smith on the prospect of Big Ten athletes getting a piece of the new TV revenue:

"Frankly, they're already getting a piece of the television revenue." Smith says the facilities and staff at Ohio State are "an investment in them."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) August 18, 2022

“Frankly, they’re already getting a piece of the television revenue,” Smith said.

Smith mentioned the updated facilities as part of the compensation for the players. This debate will likely continue throughout the college football season.