Ohio State details opt-out options for fans with football tickets
Season ticket holders won’t face penalties if they don’t attend 2020 games
With Ohio Stadium expected to be at reduced capacity this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Ohio State University Department of Athletics is offering season ticket holders a chance to rethink their options before the first kickoff.
“While no final decision has been made regarding the 2020 football season, the Department of Athletics has been working diligently with university leaders, public health experts and government officials to create game day plans that protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, faculty and fans,” the department said in a message to ticket holders today.
If games are played, the university will require physical distancing and mandatory face masks or facial coverings at the stadium, with limited concessions available. Ohio State will prohibit tailgating and no skull session will be held at St. John Arena. The Ohio Stadium crowd size will likely amount to no more than 20% of overall stadium capacity. That will lead to changes in ticket quantity and seat locations.
For fans who have paid for season tickets, the Department of Athletics will offer to accommodate as many season ticket holders as possible, which will require limiting the quantity of season tickets for each ticket holder. Details on ticket allocation and seat selection will be announced at a later date.
“We understand not all fans will feel comfortable attending games for health and safety reasons, or may not be interested in attending due to reduced capacity guidelines,” the message stated. “Therefore, we are allowing all season ticket holders to opt out of their 2020 football season tickets commitment without longevity or eligibility penalty, if they wish.”
Those who opt out:
- Retain their consecutive years of purchase.
- Retain their full season ticket eligibility.
- Will still be able to participate in the planned reseating of Ohio Stadium, as the 2020 seat selection process will now occur prior to the 2021 season for all eligible accounts.
Ohio State is offering three options for season ticket holders who opt out of the 2020 season. Supporters have the option to receive a refund for the affected game tickets, receive a credit toward a future ticket purchase, or donate their ticket payments to support student-athlete scholarships. This guarantee will apply to all ticketed athletic events.
Supporters who choose to roll over their payment or convert their purchase into a charitable contribution will receive bonus points toward the 2021 seat selection.
If supporters have additional questions, they can contact the Athletics Ticket Office via email at athletic.tix@osu.edu, via live chat at http://alivech.at/h374ec, or by phone at 1-800-GOBUCKS. Customer service representatives are available via phone Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For any additional questions, supporters may contact the Buckeye Club at (614) 292-9908 or the President’s Club at (614) 292-9550.
