As the NCAA moves toward finally allowing student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness, no university has had a bigger voice in those conversations than Ohio State.
Of the five leaders in name, image and likeness discussions who participated in an NCAA conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning, only two of them are current representatives of member institutions, and both of them are from Ohio State: University president Michael Drake, who is the current chair of the NCAA’s Board of Governors, and athletic director Gene Smith, who is the co-chair of the NCAA’s Federal and State Legislation Working Group, which developed the recommendations approved by the Board of Governors this week.