Ohio State to pay big buyout for canceled 2025 UConn football game

On Monday, the Ohio State Buckeyes announced that they had canceled their home football game against the UConn Huskies that was scheduled for Oct. 18, 2025.

The cancellation of the Ohio State-UConn football game in 2025 was mutual, per the announcement. According to the copy of the contract for the contest, the Buckeyes were set to pay the Huskies a $1.95 million guarantee for playing the game.

Per a copy of the cancellation letter created by Ohio State University and obtained from the University of Connecticut via a public records request, Ohio State has agreed to pay UConn $650,000 in liquidated damages for the termination of the contract. The payment is “full and final, and resolves all financial obligations contemplated under the Agreement,” per the letter. The letter was signed by UConn on May 23, 2024.

If you’re keeping score at home, that buyout is one-third, or 33.3%, of the original guarantee amount.

To replace that the UConn contest, Ohio State has added a home game against the Grambling State Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Grambling State University, located in Grambling, La., is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the FCS.

It’s not clear why the Ohio State-UConn contest was canceled, but Grambling State was happy to fill the void and play on a big stage against the Buckeyes.

“This is another example of us being able to showcase our brand to a national audience,” Grambling State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Travyean D. Scott said in a release on Monday. “We are thrilled that our players and fans will get to experience a matchup between two of the most storied football programs in the country. When you think of college football, Grambling State and Ohio State are two of the names that many think of immediately.  This contest will allow our both fan bases to experience the cultural and athletic excellence of both institutions.”

Ohio State opens the 2025 season at home against the Texas Longhorns on Aug. 30 and will then host the Ohio Bobcats two weeks later on Sept. 13.

The Big Ten slate of opponents for Ohio State in 2025 is also set. Ohio State will host Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers, and UCLA and will travel to take on Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Washington, and Wisconsin.