Tressel lauded Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal to use sports gaming tax to raise money for a variety of facilities. The General Assembly has tabled that plan, for now.
CLEVELAND — Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel on Thursday made his first visit to his native Greater Cleveland since being named the state’s No. 2 executive, taking part in a roundtable discussion at Cleveland State University to talk about Northeast Ohio’s workforce needs.
While there, the Hall of Fame college football coach and former Youngstown State University president also spoke with the media about some of the hot-button issued earning headlines in the area, including the ongoing Cleveland Browns stadium debate and the controversial Senate Bill 1 that would overhaul higher education in Ohio.
Both the Browns and the city of Cleveland are currently suing each other in court as the team attempts to build a new domed stadium in Brook Park, a plan both Cleveland and Cuyahoga County leaders have decried as “scheme” that would “squander taxpayer dollars.” Club owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have admitted their proposal would require $1.2 billion in public money, half of which would come directly from the state.
With Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly currently hammering out the next two-year budget, lawmakers have reportedly proposed giving the Browns $600 million in bonds to help fund the stadium. This deviates from DeWine’s original plan to raise the state’s sports gaming tax and use the proceeds to help pay for facilities not just for professional teams, but high school and college ones, as well.
On Thursday, Tressel lauded DeWine’s original proposal, particularly for its purported benefits for young athletes, before deferring to the ongoing budget negotiations.
“Some of our youth … aren’t getting a chance to participate in some sports teams because of the shortages and budgets and so forth,” the lieutenant governor told reporters. “We’re in the midst of a budget process, and we’ll see how that all plays out. But I, for one, thought the governor’s plan was a brilliant one.”
Tressel was additionally asked to give his perspective as an educator on the passage of S.B. 1, which would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at colleges and universities and prohibit faculty members from striking (among other things). DeWine is expected to sign the bill, while opponents have urged him to veto it, arguing the legislation is “anti-union, anti-free speech.”
The lieutenant governor expressed his belief in S.B. 1 as “a very thoughtfully put together bill,” arguing it actually promotes “having good, thoughtful, diverse conversation(s)” about a variety of topics on campuses. He also said he views welcoming different backgrounds and perspectives to universities as a positive for the community.
“I always said that a university is ‘unity and diversity,’ and you come from different communities and you come to a four-year school and you create a unity in people you would maybe never have spent time with,” Tressel said. “I think that helps us have a more effective university.”
Tressel further chimed in about Ohio’s efforts to bring NASA’s next headquarters to Cleveland, saying, “There’s so many reasons why this makes sense.” He also declined to speculate about potentially running for governor in 2026, stressing that he is only focused on becoming accustomed to his current job.
“When I was coaching, I would tell you, ‘I’m not thinking about the next game. I’m thinking about this game,'” he stated. “That hasn’t changed.”