Ohio State’s athletic department had a record-breaking year in operating revenue in the 2023 fiscal year by generating almost $280 million.

The only athletic program ever to generate more was Oregon four years ago, but that was driven mostly by a $270 million contribution to renovate its track and field stadium.

Ohio State reported revenue of just over $279.5 million with expenses of more than $274.9 million. Ohio State’s revenue total edged out Texas A&M for the most nationally among schools that have released their figures. Ohio State hired Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork last week to succeed the retiring Gene Smith. Michigan, Alabama and Georgia have not made their 2023 reports public.

A year ago, Ohio State reported revenue of $251. 6 million for fiscal year 2022 (July 1-June 30).

The new figures are from Ohio State’s annual financial report to the NCAA, which was obtained Tuesday through an open-records request by The Columbus Dispatch and USA TODAY Network in partnership with the Knight-Newhouse Data project at Syracuse University. 

Ohio State’s revenue increased $28 million from fiscal year 2022, an increase of about 11%. Most of that came from more football ticket sales and because the school had eight home games in 2022 compared to seven in 2021. The figure for 2023 is expected to be lower with the Buckeyes playing only six home games last season.

Ohio State’s football program generated more than $127 million in fiscal 2023 with a surplus of $55 million. Men’s basketball had revenues over $24 million with a profit of almost $10 million. Those sports subsidized the rest of the school’s 34 sports, which had costs exceeding revenues by almost $56 million.

Ohio State had a big increase in revenue from royalties, licensing, advertising and sponsorships, going from $30 million the previous year to almost $43 million.

Contributions, however, decreased more than $5 million to under $58 million.

On the expense side, Ohio State reported more than $41 million for athletically-related facilities annual debt service. In the prior fiscal year, that amount was $15.6 million. Ohio State has built several new venues in recent years, including the Covelli Center, the Ty Tucker Tennis Center, a new lacrosse stadium, and the Schumaker Complex that was added on to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

USA Today sports projects editor and reporter Steve Berkowitz contributed to this story.

It wasn’t a surprise that the Philadelphia Eagles fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, or that his replacement, Matt Patricia is leaving as well, as the NFL Network first reported Sunday night.

The fact that the report said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was the one who fired Desai could be a sign that Sirianni is remaining as the Eagles head coach. The Eagles more or less confirmed Sirianni’s return by announcing a season-ending news conference with Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman on Wednesday.

Patricia is leaving to ‘explore other opportunities,’ the NFL Network reported.

That Sirianni would be returning isn’t surprising after he took the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his three seasons, something no other coach in Eagles history has done.

There was speculation that Sirianni’s job could be in jeopardy after the Eagles finished out the season with six losses in seven games, including a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC wild-card round.

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There’s a good chance that Desai and Patricia won’t be the only coaches leaving.

Eagles insider and Jakib Sports analyst Derek Gunn reported Monday that ‘all indications are Brian Johnson will not be returning as the Eagles (offensive coordinator) …. He will land elsewhere in some offensive capacity.’

Desai had already been replaced on Dec. 16 by Patricia, who was hired last spring as a special defensive assistant. Desai kept the title of defensive coordinator, but Patricia called all the defensive plays while Desai was moved upstairs to the coach’s box.

The Eagles defense didn’t improve under Patricia as the Eagles finished 31st in the NFL in pass defense and 30th in points allowed per game.

The Eagles have already put together a list of defensive coordinator candidates, one that reportedly includes former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera.

Sirianni, meanwhile, was expected to meet with Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie last Friday in order to make sure a finish like this doesn’t happen again.

As for Johnson, his fate might have been sealed when quarterback Jalen Hurts regressed during the season-ending slide as well. Johnson, who has known Hurts since Hurts was a toddler, had served as the Eagles quarterbacks coach the previous two seasons.

Johnson is also a candidate for some head coach openings. He interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons last week. Johnson was in his first season as offensive coordinator. He replaced Shane Steichen, who left to become the Indianapolis Colts head coach, following the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last February. Desai had succeeded Jonathan Gannon, who became the Arizona Cardinals head coach after the Super Bowl as well.

But Sirianni is staying. And some veterans expressed surprise that his return was even in question.

‘I don’t understand that,’ left tackle Jordan Mailata said. ‘He’s taken us to the playoffs three consecutive  years. He’s taken us to the Super Bowl last year. That’s got to account for something. He’s a hell of a coach.

‘I feel stupid saying that, but how did we get there?’

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

The Detroit Lions vs. the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC championship is what everybody predicted when the season began. And by everybody, we mean nobody in their right minds.

The 49ers are not a surprise. This is the third year in a row they’re playing for a trip to the Super Bowl, and their offense has more options than a multiple-choice test. The Lions, on the other hand, are the NFL’s biggest surprise this season and, quite frankly, its best story. A team with some high-profile castoffs and seeming misfits has come together and energized a city starved for success.

The 49ers are the heavy favorites, but Detroit has been upending conventional wisdom all season long.

We asked our USA TODAY Sports NFL crew what they see as the key factors to watch in the game. Here’s what they said:

Amon-Ra St. Brown has gone over 100 yards receiving in four of Detroit’s last six games and has had a TD catch in all but one of those games. How can San Francisco slow him down?

Jarrett Bell: By beating up his quarterback. Every great receiver needs somebody to throw him the football, as Gisele once reminded us. So, containing St. Brown begins with making life miserable for Jared Goff. And in San Francisco’s scheme, getting pressure on the quarterback is not so reliant on blitzing, which helps on the back end. Oh, the back end. It will be interesting to see whether D-coordinator Steve Wilks decides to just stick Charvarius Ward on St. Brown, then work from there. And with the array of weapons in Detroit’s offense, the chess match begs for the ability to mix and match the double coverage options across the board. Something to note: St. Brown averaged 7.4 catches and 82 yards in Detroit’s five losses. But it’s also true that in those five games, he scored all of one touchdown. So, he may get his, so to speak, but they need to blanket the guy in the red zone.

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Chris Bumbaca: The 49ers D certainly looked as if it had taken a week off prior to the Packers game. Their next assignment isn’t much easier and St. Brown is a big reason why. But the Lions have plenty of other weapons in both the ground and passing games, and the Niners cannot be all-encompassed by St. Brown. Cornerback Ambry Thomas committed two pass interference penalties and was beaten in coverage several times, so making sure he’s not lined up on the other side of St. Brown is a good start for Steve Wilks’ crew.

Nate Davis: Maybe a touch of Bay Area fog would shade the “Sun God” … if only the Niners didn’t play in Silicon Valley. But the San Francisco D doesn’t need AI or even more processing speed to deal with St. Brown, good as he is. A unit that typically rushes only its front four consequently drops seven into coverage — and that means optimized ability to mug and re-route the All-Pro at the snap. And while he typically does stellar work over the middle, St. Brown isn’t usually contending with linebackers the caliber of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who are certainly capable of dissuading anyone from operating inside the numbers. Barring that? Maybe dial up a few extra blitzes — after all, if QB Jared Goff is on his back, St. Brown probably isn’t going to hurt you.

Tyler Dragon: Detroit’s biggest matchup advantage on offense is Amon-Ra St. Brown. The weakest link on the 49ers defense is their secondary. If I was the 49ers defensive coordinator, I would press St. Brown. Pressing St. Brown should make it more difficult for the wide receiver to get free releases, which in theory will provide the 49ers’ stout defensive front a little extra time to get after Jared Goff. San Francisco’s fierce pass rush covers up what is a leaky secondary. St. Brown has the edge over the 49ers cornerbacks, but the key for the 49ers is to make him take a little extra time getting open.

Lorenzo Reyes: This is a two-fold issue. St. Brown is so quick and shifty, especially off the line of scrimmage, that getting hands on him and jamming him at the line is key. The problem is that Detroit loves moving him all over the field, including having him line up in the slot. If San Francisco has one weakness on defense, it’s in the secondary. So it will be incumbent on the Niners edge rushers to get past Detroit’s tough offensive line and hurry Goff into quick throws. The problem there is that St. Brown is electric in the open field, so shading some help coverage will go a long way.

Detroit’s defense has given up 400-plus yards in each of its first two playoff games. Now come the 49ers, who have no shortage of weapons offensively. McCaffrey. Kittle. Samuel (if he plays). Aiyuk. Etc. If the Lions can only shut down one playmaker, who do they choose and why?

Jarrett Bell: Christian McCaffrey. The dual threat that CMC brings in the rushing and passing games puts the ‘X’ on his back. And with Brock Purdy prone to struggle at times, the 49ers simply need to run their offense through the star running back and likely NFL Offensive Player of the Year. What’s so impressive about McCaffrey is the variety of ways that he can sting a defense. He can run with power and speed. As demonstrated against Green Bay, he can take a cloud-of-dust inside run and turn it into an explosive run that goes the long distance. Ditto for the passing game. And when it’s tight near the goal line, McCaffrey’s 21 touchdowns (tied for the NFL lead) this season tell quite the story. So, it’s no secret that eliminating CMC is the top priority for the Lions defense. That’s nothing new. The game will probably hinge on whether Detroit can accomplish that mission.

Chris Bumbaca: Christian McCaffrey doing Christian McCaffrey things these days is good for, what, a touchdown a game? Maybe two? So if the Lions could hypothetically contain McCaffrey to no significant production, they would certainly take that. The sentiment is the point here, though. If the Lions can somehow make the Niners one-dimensional through the air — McCaffrey is still a threat in that aspect, too — they put the pressure on Brock Purdy to make throws and give themselves a better chance of pulling off the upset.

Nate Davis: The Niners most definitely force opposing defenses into a pick-your-poison conundrum. But Samuel, assuming his shoulder and pain threshold allow him to play, might be the most toxic. His versatility as receiver, wingback, blocker and bulldozer is renowned. There’s also quite a correlation to his availability and San Francisco’s success. Of the Niners’ five losses this season, Samuel missed two with injury, barely played in another when he first banged up his shoulder, and rested for most of Week 18’s inconsequential defeat. The offense sputtered again in Saturday’s escape from the Green Bay Packers, when Samuel only posted for 33% of the snaps. One of two players ever with 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards over his first five NFL seasons, Samuel’s impact can’t be understated. (But if he’s inactive, Dan Campbell’s D should sell out to stifle RB Christian McCaffrey.)

Tyler Dragon: Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey are San Francisco’s two best offensive weapons. They are equally as important because of the effect they have on the offense. If the Lions shut down both of them, they’ll likely be headed to Las Vegas. However, Samuel might be sidelined for this game due to a shoulder injury. So, naturally I’ll say McCaffrey. The 2023 rushing champion produced 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will certainly gameplan to stop both Samuel and McCaffrey. But McCaffrey takes priority simply because Samuel will be playing at less than 100% or not playing at all.

Lorenzo Reyes: This has got to be Christian McCaffrey. A candidate for Offensive Player of the Year, frankly, your best hope is to limit him because shutting him down seems like a Herculean task. The problem is his versatility; despite his size, he’s powerful enough to take on a heavy batch of carries in between the tackles, but he can also slip out of the backfield and has excellent hands. His 12 targets in the divisional round against the Packers were a team high.

The 49ers are in the NFC championship game for a third consecutive year and fourth time under Kyle Shanahan while this is the Lions’ first appearance since 1991. Is the experience imbalance overrated?

Jarrett Bell: Maybe. As this season progressed, I’m probably not the only one who felt that the Lions were like a year away from being on the verge of reaching the Super Bowl. They’ve been building something special under Dan Campbell. And we’ve seen teams over the years take their steps to championship glory. Then again, we’ve also seen teams arrive early, so to speak. That might be this Lions team, driven to prove they are a NOW team. I was at Candlestick Park in the early ’90s when another up-and-coming team arrived early and shocked the 49ers in the NFC title game. Can the Lions mimic those old (and certainly not current) Dallas Cowboys? By the same token, the championship game experience the 49ers have gained surely counts for something. I’m thinking guys like Fred Warner and George Kittle are sick of ‘experiencing’ title game defeats and might draw on some extra resolve because of it.

Chris Bumbaca: Overrated can be a strong word. Probably not. But it’s not even in the top 30 reasons why the Niners could beat the Lions on Sunday. I’d say having home-field advantage is more of a difference-maker for the Niners. Detroit played only one-third of its games outdoors. QB Jared Goff is not nearly as productive in the elements than in the friendly confines of Ford Field. But it will be a homecoming for the northern California native.

Nate Davis: In a word, “yes,” most definitely overrated. Last year, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts nearly won the Super Bowl in his first extensive playoff drive. Same deal for the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford, seasoned as he was in the regular season, and a greenish Cincinnati Bengals squad during the 2021 playoffs. Even former Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who played in his first postseason games during the 2019 postseason, reached Super Bowl 54 and nearly won it … vanquishing “experienced” counterparts like Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers along the way. And we’ve certainly witnessed playoff familiarity lead to a pucker factor in places where the expectations are astronomical … right, Dak? Don’t be remotely shocked if the 49ers, near-perennial NFC title game participants of late but never a Super Bowl champion, blink against a Lions team that doesn’t seem to be feeling any pain … or pressure.

Tyler Dragon: The experience imbalance isn’t overrated but it’s definitely something to monitor. The 49ers came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations. They were the best team in the NFC all year. The Lions entered the season trying to gain relevance and rid themselves of a losing reputation. The Lions are playing with house money because not many expected them to reach the NFC championship game. Will there be jitters to start? Sure. But nerves should dissipate for the Lions. It’s still just a football game even though the stakes are higher.

Lorenzo Reyes: This is a complicated question to answer because teams are so wildly different. Experience can be a good thing, certainly. But Detroit has something akin to experience. The Lions franchise has been suffering in a purgatory of mediocrity and this version of the team seems to be feeding off of the city’s energy. Indeed, Lions fans have been everywhere this season, taking over opposing stadiums. In an NFC championship game in Santa Clara, that will be a taller task. But inexperience, if channeled properly, in a way that allows players to feel free and loose, free of expectation — that can be a very dangerous weapon. Dan Campbell is just the type of coach to draw that out of this team. Plus, quarterback Jared Goff, a captain and team leader, has started in a Super Bowl.

Bills Mafia rallied around Tyler Bass by donating $100,000 to a local cat shelter after the Buffalo Bills kicker deactivated his social media accounts. Bass’s online presence disappeared after he missed a potential game-tying field goal in the team’s 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday.

Fans on X, formerly Twitter, noticed that Bass’ account, @tbass_xvi, was deactivated after the game. At the time of publication on Monday, the page said, ‘This account doesn’t exist.’

The kicker’s Instagram account with the same username also was deactivated. The page read, ‘Sorry, this page isn’t available.’

Both accounts were still down as of Tuesday afternoon.

Bills Mafia, the name of Buffalo’s diehard fanbase, started donating to local nonprofit Ten Lives Club to show support to Bass after he reportedly received online hate. A representative for Ten Lives Club told USA TODAY Sports via Instagram direct message that 646 people have donated for a total of $14,760 as of Monday night. By Tuesday, the tally reached six figures for a total of $100,000. The number was given a boost by a $5,000 donation by Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

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The kicker is a brand ambassador for the organization, which is a no-kill cat rescue and shelter. Fans were donating amounts of $22 to commemorate Bass’s No. 2 jersey.

‘WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON’T BULLY OUR FRIEND,’ Ten Lives Club said in an Instagram post with a promotional photo of Bass holding a cat. ‘We just heard the terrible news that Tyler Bass is receiving threats after yesterday’s game and our phones are ringing off the hook from people who want to donate $22 to Ten Lives Club in Tyler’s name.

‘Tyler doesn’t deserve any of the hate he’s receiving. He’s an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year. Leave our friend alone.’

Bass attempted the 44-yard field goal with 1:47 left in the game and it sailed wide right. The Chiefs were then able to run the clock out to capture the victory.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons.

General manager Daniel Briere announced Tuesday that Hart had requested and been granted time away from the team. He added that the Flyers will have no further comment.

A message sent to Hart’s agent seeking comment or further clarification of the situation was not immediately returned.

Hart, 25, is coming off one of his worst starts of an otherwise strong season Saturday when he allowed five goals on 15 shots in a loss to Colorado before being pulled. He’s 12-9-3 in his sixth NHL season, the final one of his three-year contract worth $11.9 million.

A native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, outside Edmonton, Hart is set to be a restricted free agent next summer.

The Flyers, who have been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises this season and hold a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night in one of their final games before the All-Star break.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears hired Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator on Tuesday, hoping he can get the most out of Justin Fields or a new quarterback if they draft one with the No. 1 overall pick.

Waldron joins coach Matt Eberflus’ staff after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks. He replaces Luke Getsy, who was fired after two years.

With the Seahawks, Waldron called plays for an offense led by Russell Wilson in 2021. He then helped quarterback Geno Smith go from a journeyman to AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 after passing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns.

The Seahawks ranked 21st in total offense, 14th in passing and 17th in scoring this season. They also struggled on third downs.

Before moving to Seattle, Waldron spent four years as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams, the last three as passing game coordinator with Jared Goff as the QB. The Seahawks’ coaches were looking for new jobs after Carroll moved to an advisory role two weeks ago, ending a 14-year run that included a Super Bowl championship — a change that seemed somewhat forced by Seahawks ownership.

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Chicago went 7-10 with an improved defense leading the way after finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record in 2022. But the Bears have some major questions, starting with whether to keep Fields or draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the No. 1 pick.

Eberflus’ long-term security also is no sure thing, given his 10-24 record through two seasons. Only John Fox (14-34 from 2015-17) and Abe Gibron (11-30-1 from 1972-74) have a worse winning percentage among Bears coaches.

Though Chicago finished second in rushing after leading the league in 2022, it ranked near the bottom in passing each of the past two seasons.

Fields’ three seasons have been marked by big plays with his arm and legs but little consistency as a passer. He never really meshed with Getsy and even went public with his frustration in Week 3 when he said he was being fed too much information, comments he tried to soften later that day.

Fields showed some improvement in the pocket this season and threw for a career-high 2,562 yards in 13 games. But he was 22nd in the NFL with an 86.3 passer rating. He has thrown for 200 yards or more just 13 times in 40 games and has just one 300-yard passing game in his career.

The Bears could decide to stick with Fields and trade the No. 1 pick, as they did last year in a massive deal with Carolina. They got top receiver DJ Moore in return as well as the Panthers’ first-round selection this year. And with Carolina finishing with a league-worst 2-15 record, Chicago is again at the top of the draft.

The chance to select a potential franchise-changing quarterback like Williams or Maye might be too tempting to pass up this time. There are also salary-cap implications to consider, since a new quarterback would be on a club-friendly rookie contract. The Bears have to decide whether to pick up Fields’ fifth-year option for 2025.

Chicago also is looking for a defensive coordinator. Eberflus took over play-calling duties after Alan Williams resigned in September.