COLUMBUS, Ohio — Back in February, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith could barely conceive the calamity that would force him to cut any of the program’s 37 sports. When Ohio State’s Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act report to the NCAA appeared to show a $10 million operating deficit for 2019, Smith said “there’s no way I would be sitting here with (37) sports if we had a $10 million deficit. “It just wouldn’t happen,” he said. “I’d be dropping sports.” Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Over the past five months, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the NCAA’s winter sports championships — including the March Madness basketball tournament — the College World Series and mostly wiped out spring football. The fall season, and the substantial football revenue it brings, remains up in the air. The Big Ten and Pac-12 will play only conference games in 2020. That removes two home…
Continue Reading: If there’s no football, will Ohio State have to cut sports?
