6
CRITICAL NEEDS COVERED
OUR MISSION
For every Buckeye who gave everything to the game.
When a former Ohio State athlete faces unforeseen, detrimental circumstances — a medical crisis, a mental health battle, a legal fight, a disaster, victimization, or an educational need — recovery demands more money and time than most families can carry alone. We carry it with them.
3
PILLARS OF SUPPORT
1
BUCKEYE FAMILY
ONE TEAM. FOR LIFE.
Beyond the Goal Line (BTGL) is a sports nonprofit and athlete charity focused on former Ohio State players from every sport and era. Explore BTGL's mission for former athletes and the resources, mentorship and financial assistance that guide its support process.
Support is shaped around the circumstances each former athlete is facing. BTGL connects people with practical resources, trusted mentorship and financial assistance while respecting privacy throughout the process. The goal is straightforward: help members of the Buckeye family move through a difficult chapter with a team still standing beside them.
The mission is organized around three kinds of help rather than a single event or donation campaign. Resources and referrals give former athletes a way to look for relevant support when a difficult situation is unfamiliar. Mentorship keeps a personal connection in the picture: former players can speak with people who understand the transition away from competition and the importance of staying connected to a community. Financial assistance is another part of the program, described alongside those resources rather than as a substitute for them. The programs page explains each area in more detail.
A former athlete or family member looking for a starting point can read the mission and who it serves, then use the contact form to begin a private conversation. That route matters because needs differ from one person to another, and a public event page or social post is not the place to explain a personal situation. The site outlines the areas of support and gives people a direct way to ask questions; it does not turn a list of programs into a promise about an individual request.
Supporters can approach the work from a different direction. They can learn how the programs fit together, follow completed and upcoming community events, or ask about volunteering and mentoring through the contact page. Donations support the broader mission, while conversations with potential mentors and volunteers begin separately from checkout. Those different paths give people a clearer picture of what Beyond the Goal Line does before they decide how to participate. Through each path, the focus stays on former athletes and the practical support described here, without requiring anyone receiving help to share their story publicly.
When the unforeseen hits, we show up.
SIX CRITICAL NEEDS01Medical
Crises
Crises
02Mental Health
& Recovery
& Recovery
03Legal
Support
Support
04Natural
Disaster
Disaster
05Crime
Victims
Victims
06Education
Needs
→How weNeeds
help
How does Beyond the Goal Line help?
Beyond the Goal Line begins with a confidential conversation about the circumstance, the immediate need and the practical next step. Former Ohio State athletes or people reaching out on their behalf can contact BTGL without publishing a personal story. The organization keeps beneficiary identities and case details private while it considers which available resources may fit the request.
Support is organized around three connected areas: useful resources and referrals, mentorship from people prepared to listen, and financial assistance when it is available and appropriate. Every inquiry is different, so BTGL does not promise a specific result. The process is designed to identify a responsible path forward while respecting the person asking for help.
The same community can take part in several ways. Supporters can learn about BTGL resources, mentorship and financial assistance, read the mission for former athletes, or start a confidential conversation with BTGL. Donors and volunteers can also use those pages to understand how their involvement connects to the mission.
This is the scene.
ENTER THE COMMUNITY
THE WOODY HAYES EDICT
"You can never pay it back, so pay it forward."
Woody Hayes built winners — and then gave back every day of his life. He didn't invent the idea of paying it forward, but he lived it louder than anyone. Beyond the Goal Line exists because that edict never left us. When a Buckeye helped us once, we owe it to the next one. That's what this is about.
THE SONG THAT SENDS THEM HOME
Carmen Ohio
After every home game, the players and the band stand together on the field and sing. Win or lose. Always together. This is the song that holds the brotherhood.
VERSE I
Oh! Come let's sing Ohio's praise,
And songs to Alma Mater raise;
While our hearts rebounding thrill,
With joy which death alone can still.
Summer's heat or winter's cold,
The seasons pass, the years will roll;
Time and change will surely show
How firm thy friendship — O-hi-o!
QUICK ANSWER
What is Beyond the Goal Line?
Beyond the Goal Line (BTGL) is a 501(c)(3) sports nonprofit — a buckeye charity founded in Columbus, Ohio to stand behind former Ohio State athletes who hit a critical need after their playing days end. BTGL is independent of Ohio State University, and connects members of the Ohio State athletics family to vetted resources, peer mentorship and direct financial assistance across medical, mental health, legal, disaster, crime-victim and education circumstances.
See who we serve and why the mission exists, or go straight to the programs and financial assistance BTGL provides.
Questions? Email info@btgl.life or write to 4140 John Shields Pkwy., Dublin, OH 43017.Every shot.
Every season.
Every Buckeye.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE — DONATE 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE · 501(C)(3)