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

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. "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 would cut their men's and women's tennis programs in order to pay for other teams . Bellamkonda said the only thing that would make him rethink that position is if "[Ohio State is] not able to be really good at all the things we do. " "So, as long as we're able to compete and take care of all these sports and do well, our intention is to try to continue that," he said.