What does leadership look like when the stage gets bigger—and the stakes do too?

Episode 13 of The CALS Report features Ross Bjork, Ohio State Director of Athletics and host of CALS 25, as he joins our Ryan Bradley for a wide-ranging Big Interview on culture, scale, and leading in the new era of college sports.

Bjork reflects on his first year in Columbus—what he learned inheriting a powerful culture, how he’s building trust to make hard decisions, and the disciplined approach required to sustain a broad sport portfolio amid revenue sharing and roster caps. He shares lessons from a national championship season, talks balancing tradition with innovation (“honor tradition, don’t think traditionally”), and unpacks the art of tuning out the noise while communicating with conviction.

We also zoom out on the future of NIL, the new College Sports Commission, and why clarity and transparency are the real currency of leadership today. Bjork closes with candid advice to rising ADs: stay adaptable, master the whole enterprise, and invest in relationships that last.

Also in this episode:

✈️ Sponsor Spotlight with Airshare – CRO Dylan Haynie breaks down how private aviation is evolving to serve athletics departments and donor travel.

⚡ Leadership. Strategy. Real talk from the front lines. Episode 13 is a masterclass on where college athletics is headed next.