COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State has given athletic director Gene Smith the additional title of vice president and has extended his contract through June 2020.
Under his new job description, in addition to continuing his role with the athletic department he also will oversee trademark and licensing deals and Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center and several other buildings, reporting directly to the university president.
Pending approval by the university’s Board of Trustees this week, Smith’s base salary will remain $940,484 a year.
Smith came to Ohio State in 2005 as AD and has seen the athletic department weather NCAA probation in its two big-money sports, football and men’s basketball.
Smith will share responsibility with the Office of Business and Finance for OSU’s Business Advancement Division.
In addition to the Schottenstein Center, the Business Advancement Division oversees the Blackwell Inn, Drake Union and the Fawcett Center.
Smith will also be in charge of the agreement between the university and Nationwide Arena Management to create more partnerships between the two while seeking out more opportunities.
In a statement, Ohio State said that in fiscal year 2013 the athletic department transferred nearly $30 million in assessments to the university, including more than $16 million in grant-in-aid reimbursement.