Ohio State announced Monday that university president Ted Carter has resigned from his position, creating a leadership transition just one week before the NCAA Tournament begins.
Carter disclosed to the Board of Trustees that he had an “inappropriate relationship” involving someone seeking public resources for personal business ventures.
The former Navy officer joined Ohio State in 2023 after serving at Nebraska. He’d transitioned to academia in 2019 following his military retirement.
“For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University,” Carter said in a university statement. “I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.”
Carter apologized for how the relationship ended and praised the university’s direction.
“I believe we have made much progress during my time at Ohio State, and I’m sorry I’m not able to remain your president longer. The students, faculty and staff at this university are among the very best in the world, and the Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan has Ohio State poised to succeed for years to come.”
He thanked the board for their support and called serving as the university’s 17th president an honor.
Buckeyes fans, media and donors quickly rallied around one potential replacement: Jim Tressel.
The former Ohio State football coach won 94 games during his tenure. He lost to Michigan only once over a 10-game stretch.
Cleveland.com’s Stephen Means captured the sentiment in a recent post.
“Ohio State University President Jim Tressel. Is it crazy or is it crazy?”
Fan support for Tressel appears overwhelming across social media platforms.
The university administration faces pressure to move quickly on a replacement as the academic year approaches its conclusion.
