Ohio State president commits to keeping 36 sports, with a caveat

Yahoo Sports2h ago11 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Ohio State University President Ravi Bellamkonda is committed to maintaining all 36 Division I sports teams, contingent on the university's ability to do so. This commitment follows the previous assurance made by his predecessor, Ted Carter.

Key points

Ohio State University President Ravi Bellamkonda commits to 36 sports teams
Commitment is contingent on the university's ability to maintain them
Ted Carter, former president, also pledged to keep all teams
College athletics are viewed as vital to the university's identity

Mentioned in this story

Ohio State UniversityRavi BellamkondaTed Carter

Ohio State University President Ravi Bellamkonda said he is committed to maintaining all of its current 36 Division I sports teams – with a caveat.

In a sit-down interview May 1 inside the president's offices, Bellamkonda told reporters that he wants to maintain all of the university's athletics programs as long as it is able.

Ted Carter – Bellamkonda's predecessor, who suddenly resigned in March – previously committed to keep all of Ohio State's teams intact amidst a changing athletics landscape. Carter said in November 2024 that college athletics are the "front porch" to the university and one of the core themes of his strategic plan, Education for Citizenship 2035.

Bellamkonda said his "default position" is to maintain all of Ohio State's athletic programs.

In one of his first interviews since becoming Ohio State's president, Ravi Bellamkonda discusses his whirlwind semester. He spoke with Sheridan Hendrix, higher education reporter from The Dispatch as well as reporters from The Lantern, the OSU student newspaper, and Columbus Business First on Friday, May 1, 2026 in his meeting room at University Square South.

"We are very committed to the Olympic sports, beyond all of the revenue sports and such," Bellamkonda said. "But like any good leader, you have to be open to other possibilities, but I don't see any reason to go away from that mission unless we have to for some reason."

Hundreds of Division I programs have shuttered or consolidated since House v. NCAA – an antitrust lawsuit filed by former student athletes challenging the NCAA's name, image and likeness rules – was finalized. Several universities announced in recent weeks that they .

Q&A

What did Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda say about the sports teams?

Ravi Bellamkonda stated he is committed to keeping all 36 Division I sports teams at Ohio State University as long as it is feasible.

Who was the previous president of Ohio State University?

Ted Carter was the previous president, who resigned in March and had also committed to maintaining all sports teams.

What was Ted Carter's view on college athletics at Ohio State?

Ted Carter referred to college athletics as the 'front porch' of the university and a core theme of his strategic plan, Education for Citizenship 2035.

What is the significance of maintaining all sports teams at Ohio State?

Maintaining all sports teams is seen as crucial for the university's identity and community engagement within the changing landscape of college athletics.