Journalist Pablo Torre reported this week that former Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer may have helped a controversial religious organization stage an event at the university’s Schottenstein Center. Torre, on his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” program, said he suspects Meyer was “at the top of the list” of people who could have facilitated the Life Surge event held at Ohio State last year.
The May 2025 Life Surge event in Columbus featured Meyer, Kirk Herbstreit, Tim Tebow and several Ohio State football players including Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, alongside Christian speakers. The faith-based group advertised the full-day gathering around faith, personal growth and financial education. Torre has described Life Surge’s business model as funneling “well-intentioned, financially illiterate Christians” toward expensive upsells, and said the athletes served as a “lure” to draw attendees.
According to Torre, customers at the Columbus event were offered chances to win photo opportunities with Meyer and the Ohio State players. He questioned the faith-based ecosystem around the football program and how outside entities might leverage it. Neither Meyer nor Ohio State has publicly responded to Torre’s latest claims as of Friday evening.
Meyer previously told reporters in 2018 that faith was “a big part of this program,” while stressing players were not required to take part in faith activities. The allegations arrive as Ohio State’s program remains a national brand, and Torre’s reporting continues to draw scrutiny to how big-name coaches and athletes intersect with for-profit ventures.
