OSU's Stroud: Revenue 'should be shared' with players

CJ Stroud says revenue from the record-breaking TV deal just signed by the Big Ten should be shared by the players.

The Ohio State quarterback and preseason Heisman favourite spoke a day after the conference signed a seven-year agreement with FOX, CBS and NBC worth over $7 billion.

“I definitely think it should be shared,” Stroud said of the deal. “But if not, at the end of the day, we have the NIL space. We can do it that way. The new college world is turning around, and I’m here for it.”

With USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024, the new deal will pay each of the 16 member schools in excess of $70 million per season, not included bonuses for March Madness and pooled bowl revenue.

Even with the advent of NIL deals, Stroud says he's not sure players are being close to fairly compensated for what they bring to the NCAA.

“This game is amazing, especially the college atmosphere, because it does have amateurism to it,” Stroud said. “That’s definitely a plus. But at the same time, I’m not 100 per-cent sure what our tuition is, but I’m sure it’s not the worth of what we’re actually worth. My mom has always told me to know my worth.”

A native of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, the 20-year-old Stroud wonders if the general public is aware of the sacrifices made by players at high-level programs

"We put in so much work,” Stroud said. “All the time that goes into it, it's definitely tough. Then you take time away from your family. I’m 2,000 miles away from home. I don’t want anybody to feel bad for me, but at the same time, it does take a lot of courage, it does take a lot of heart, to be here day in and day out."

A Heisman finalist last year, finishing fourth in the voting with Alabama QB Bryce Young claiming the honour, Stroud and