Ohio State to pay Toledo $1.8 million for football game

6/13/2018
BY NICHOLAS PIOTROWICZ
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS — The University of Toledo’s trip to Ohio State for a 2022 football game will come with a hefty payday.

The contract between the two schools, obtained by The Blade through a public records request, calls for Ohio State to pay a $1.8 million guarantee to their in-state neighbors for the game.

Toledo's Eric Page, center, runs against Ohio State's Tyler Moeller, left, and Storm Klein during a 2011 meeting in Columbus. Ohio State beat Toledo 27-22.
Toledo's Eric Page, center, runs against Ohio State's Tyler Moeller, left, and Storm Klein during a 2011 meeting in Columbus. Ohio State beat Toledo 27-22.

The agreement became official May 23, and calls for the Rockets to visit the Buckeyes in Columbus on Sept. 22, 2022.

Game guarantees of $1 million or more are standard practice in college football when a Group of Five team visits a power-conference team. In 2015, when Toledo upset Arkansas 16-12, the Razorbacks paid UT $1 million for the trip.

In the contract, Ohio State will make the standard 5,000 tickets available to Toledo — which includes the seats for the UT marching band, should the Rockets opt to bring it — to be sold by July 31 of that year.

The game will be the fourth between Ohio State and Toledo, and first since 2011. Ohio State won games against UT in 1998, 2009, and 2011.

The Buckeyes, who have two of their nonconference games set for 2022, will open the year at Notre Dame.

Toledo hosts Miami (Fla.) this year on Sept. 15 and has road games against Power Five teams scheduled for 2019 (Kentucky), 2020 (Michigan State), and 2021 (Notre Dame) before the OSU trip in 2022.

VIDEO: OSU-Toledo to play in 2022

Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at: npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz.