Large Ohio State Sports Web Site Goes Independent — Retains Personalities & Contributors

Business Wire, Dec 1, 2006

DAYTON, Ohio -- Bucknuts.com, among the largest portals for news and commentary primarily about The Ohio State University football program, today becomes an independent web site, ending a five-year relationship with Scout Media, Inc., a unit of Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC.

On December 1st The Bucknuts Media Network launched its new and improved web site, Bucknuts.com, an active source for news and commentary about OSU sports, recruiting and user forums. Origins of The Bucknuts Media Network date from 1998 with the launch of a web site devoted to covering Ohio State sports, specializing in football and recruiting. Operating continuously since that time, year-to-year growth has been dramatic. Bucknuts.com now is believed to rank among the largest of all Internet Web sites devoted to collegiate sports.

"Over the years we have gained a reputation for leading-edge content and have introduced such popular Bucknuts.com personalities as Mr. Bucknuts and regular features such as Buckeye Grove," said Steve Helwagen, Managing Editor. "As an independent Web site with greater flexibility, we look for our respected contributors and familiar personalities to help move Bucknuts.com to the next level," said Helwagen.

The Bucknuts Media Network markets to those fans that require commentary and recruitment content that goes into far greater detail than the public Web site available to all Internet users.

Bucknuts.com is not affiliated with The Ohio State University and bills itself as "The unauthorized Ohio State sports site."

Bucknuts, the magazine covering Ohio State athletics, will continue to be published by Scout Publishing, a unit of Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC, which is the largest publisher of team-specific magazines in the U.S.

The Bucknuts Media Network, with its category-leading web site, Bucknuts.com, also includes Ohio High magazine covering Ohio high school sports along with a companion web site, JJHuddle.com; The Bucknuts Radio Hour, a weekly broadcast and Internet radio show; and other sports-related ventures.