COLUMBUS, Ohio –– Gene Smith won’t be leaving Ohio State any time soon.

The Buckeye athletic director, who had been rumored to be among the candidates for the vacant Pac-12 commissioner job in recent months, has signed a four-year contract extension with Ohio State that would run through June 30, 2026, according to documents obtained by BuckeyeGrove Wednesday.

Smith, 65, still had one year left on his previous deal, but signed the new extension back in March. The contract is up for approval at a board of trustees meeting this week at Ohio State.

Smith, who has been the athletic director for the Buckeyes since 2005, is set to make $1.47 million in total compensation this fiscal year, which includes a 5 percent pay cut that the athletic department asked staff members to opt into last year due to financial restraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the new deal, which goes into effect on July 1, Smith will make $1.58 million in base salary each year, along with additional money for media and public relations responsibilities that totals nearly $500,000.

When asked about the potential for Smith to leave the Ohio State program back in January, head football coach Ryan Day “if anything like that ever happened, certainly that would not be good.”

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“What Gene Smith’s meant to me and my family, forget it, we could talk about it forever,” Day said. “He’s been unbelievable. Love him. He and Sheila have been so strong and supportive along the way."

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