The Navy Midshipmen are scheduled to travel to play the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2029 season, which was announced last month. The Midshipmen will receive a massive guarantee for playing the contest, FBSchedules.com has learned via records obtained from Ohio State University.
According to the copy of the contract, Ohio State will pay Navy a $1.9 million guarantee for the Sept. 1, 2029 game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The $1.9 million guarantee that Ohio State will pay Navy matches what the Buckeyes will pay several other teams for future football games, including Ohio (Sept. 13, 2025), Ball State (Sept. 5, 2026), Kent State (Sept. 19, 2026), and Buffalo (Sept. 2, 2028).
Ohio State was previously slated to pay their largest game guarantee, $1.95 million, to the UConn Huskies for a game on Oct. 18, 2025. However, that contest was canceled last year, with the Buckeyes dishing out $650,000 for the cancellation.
In addition to announcing the Navy contest last month, Ohio State also revealed it will host the Youngstown State Penguins on Sept. 15, 2029. The Buckeyes will pay the Penguins an $800,000 guarantee for the game, per the copy of the contract.
Ohio State was previously scheduled to host the Nevada Wolf Pack in 2029, but the game was pushed back one season to accommodate the scheduling of the Navy contest. The Buckeyes were slated to pay the Wolf Pack a $1.8 million guarantee, but have added an additional $50,000 to the guarantee due to moving the contest.
The new date for the Nevada at Ohio State contest is Sept. 7, 2030.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
And they’ll still find a way to cancel it in 2 or so years.
….and replace it with Butler or Dayton…..
Ohio State would have to pay the buy out on this deal, so I would tend to believe this happens.
Paying the Naval Academy, who is already funded by the federal government, $1.9 million just to have your knees fired at all game is definitely a move.
Not sure I see how that is different than paying $1.9 to Ohio or Kent State who are funded by the State of Ohio or Ball State who is funded by the State of Indiana. There is hardly anything political about this.
Even a Michigan Wolverines Backer would like to see
disliked rival Ohio State to play Navy.
Navy has never beaten Ohio State, and with the exception of the first two meetings have giving the Buckeyes a scare.
Based on what the Bucknuts are paying for MACtion, the Navy contract sounds like the “going rate” as opposed to a “massive guarantee”.
WTG Buckeyes….that completes the 2029 OOC schedule with no P4 opponents. Wussies!
I would like to see Ohio State give up Charlotte & move up Georgia at Athens a year ahead of schedule in 2029 this is My suggestion.
Callled Cannon Fodder in China.
Navy plays out of conference Notre Dame and Air Force so they are giving up their own cupcake game to be the cupcake for Ohio State.