A pair of Ohio State beat reporters are facing a serious legal case where they have been accused of stealing money from Ohio State athletes appearing on their show.
According to Awful Announcing, beat writers Austin Ward and Jeremy Birmingham are alleged to have not only “skimmed money” from sponsorship and ad deals, but even admitted to it.
Per the report, the two were given money exclusively intended to compensate athletes appearing on “THE Podcast,” a show they hosted through THE Media until their firing on March 31. However, the report alleges that they the pair admitted in writing that they would pay players and split leftover revenue between themselves and a third party.
“According to the amended lawsuit, both Ward and Birmingham allegedly skimmed money from sponsorships and ad deals, money that was exclusively intended to compensate Ohio State athletes for appearing on THE Podcast. The filing alleges the pair even admitted in writing to pocketing a portion of those funds, with Birmingham specifically stating that after paying players, the leftover revenue was split between himself, Ward, and an unnamed third party,” Awful Announcing wrote.
Ward and Birmingham initially suggested that they were the ones being wronged by an ownership group unwilling to keep funding their show.
Ohio State beat writers admit to skimming money intended for players, according to lawsuit https://t.co/61GEXj8I47
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 9, 2025
In addition to the allegations of skimming money from deals meant for podcast guests, THE Media has accused the two of “civil theft, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.”
Birmingham has been separately accused of computer trespass and invasion of privacy.
Ward is facing allegations of defamation and is accused of sending “a rogue invoice to an unauthorized sponsor” within minutes of his termination, which THE Media asserts as an unauthorized email use.
On social media, Ward has publicly denied the charges. He flatly stated that “nobody pocketed anything” in a recent post on X.
Nobody pocketed anything. The sponsorship money was paid to The Podcast in its entirety. https://t.co/988eQq7v1g
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) April 4, 2025
Both men have resumed their jobs as Buckeyes beat reporters, with Birmingham continuing to post about Ohio State sports news.
Related: Ohio State Football Coach Ryan Day Is Launching His Own Podcast