Jake Diebler believes Ohio State will be on 'the cutting edge' after passing of House settlement

The fallout from last month’s House Settlement approval will go into effect on July 1, ushering in sweeping changes to the structure of college athletics. Ohio State plans to be at the forefront of those changes.

Buckeyes men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler recently met with media to discuss the upcoming season. With the House Settlement’s decision directly impacting the way Diebler’s players are compensated, the Ohio State headman revealed his perspective on the historic decision.

“I think the encouraging thing about being at The Ohio State University is we’re going to be on the cutting edge,” Diebler told media. “Under Ross [Bjork]’s leadership, I feel real confident. Once everything truly is settled, because I still feel like there are a lot of questions, but once everything’s truly settled, I think that’s going to mean a great thing for our entire department, and certainly for our basketball program.”

When Diebler’s interim head coach tag was removed, athletic director Ross Bjork said that he wants the Buckeyes to “consistently in the conversation for Big Ten Championships,” under his leadership. Being at the forefront of NIL and its new rules, as well as the NCAA transfer portal, should put the Buckeyes in position to do just that.

The fallout from the approval, which was signed by Judge Claudia Wilken on June 6, will see schools be able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning on July 1. Football will receive 75% of the allotted amount, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of the institution’s sports (5%). It’s expected that power conference football programs will have between $13 to $16 million to spend on rosters for the upcoming season.

Moreover, the NCAA will have to pay $2.776 billion in back damages over the next decade to former college athletes who had competed after 2016. Roster limits and new NIL clearinghouses focused on facilitating third-party deals were all a part of the settlement as well.

For a school like Ohio State, the Buckeyes’ men’s basketball program is one that will be able to use the settlement to their advantage. Perhaps some opportunities will present themselves in Columbus that otherwise wouldn’t elsewhere.

For now, that remains to be seen as July 1 rapidly approaches. In the meantime, Diebler will be tasked with getting his new roster ready for the upcoming 2025-26 season as the Buckeyes look to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.