Ohio State president with ‘big voice in Big Ten’ resigns as he cops to inappropriate relationship

On Monday, Mar. 9, 2026, Ohio State president Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. resigned from his position, which the Board of Trustees accepted.

His resignation comes after he had an “inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business and offered to resign,” as the press release (via 10 WBNS) stated.

The chair of the Ohio State University Board of Trustees, John Zeiger, said, “The board appreciates the president’s contributions to the university over the last two years.”

Perhaps this is somewhat surprising, as Carter has a “big voice” in the Big Ten conference, as Pete Thamel noted on X, formerly Twitter. Carter previously was the president of the University of Nebraska System.

Former Ohio State president Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.’s full statement after his resignation

“For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University,” Carter’s statement began. “I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.

“I believe we have made much progress during my time at Ohio State, and I’m sorry I’m not able to remain your president longer. The students, faculty and staff at this university are among the very best in the world, and the Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan has Ohio State poised to succeed for years to come,” he continued.

Carter continued by stating that he has “enjoyed a strong working relationship with the board of trustees, and I’m grateful for their support and guidance.”

Regardless of how it is ending, Carter is grateful and appreciative of his tenure. He concluded by stating that “it has been an honor to serve as this university’s 17th president, and we wish the university ongoing success.”

Carter became the president of Ohio State University on Jan. 1, 2024. His resignation came just over two years after his tenure started. It’s unclear what his next steps are.