Ohio State Football Game Day
Football Game Day Web Page
The Ohio State Football Game Day web page www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/gameday/ provides complete information for Buckeye fans and visitors. The site outlines stadium policies, parking policies and availability, transportation options, fan information, and ADA and medical services to help create a safe and family-friendly atmosphere. Updated information is available throughout the season.
Ohio Stadium Policies
Ohio Stadium gates open two hours prior to kick off.
Guests are encouraged to travel light. Bags and backpacks larger than 14-by-14-by-4 are prohibited. To avoid long lines at gate entrances, template stations are located around the stadium, allowing guests to measure their bags. Audio and video recording equipment and still cameras with lens greater than 100 mm are also prohibited. All bags and containers are subject to search.
Guests are encouraged to arrive at their seats well in advance of kickoff and to keep their ticket stubs available throughout the game to help ushers verify seating.
*Everyone, regardless of age, is required to have a ticket or credential to gain admission into the stadium.
*Security personnel located outside each gate will assist with crowd control, check the identification of discounted student or faculty/staff ticketholders and look for prohibited items.
*An abbreviated list of items prohibited in Ohio Stadium include: alcohol, baby strollers, beverages, containers (cans, bottles, ice chests, thermoses), fireworks, flags, food, frisbees, illegal drugs, noisemakers, signs, and weapons (knives, irritants, firearms).
*Umbrellas are permitted inside the stadium for use before and after games.
*All forms of smoking are prohibited within the gates of Ohio Stadium.
*Guests with a medical need for a personal chair-back seat must provide a physician’s note and enter only through Gates 13, 16, 23 or 26. Individuals with special health or medical needs should also enter through Gates 13, 16, 23 or 26.
*A complete list of items permitted and prohibited inside Ohio Stadium is available on the game day website.
Disability Seating/Services
Disability seating is provided on all levels of Ohio Stadium. Individuals requiring wheelchair accessible or disability seating are encouraged to complete an Athletics Department Disability Needs Form, available online http://go.osu.edu/EYy, or call the Athletics Ticket Office at (614) 292-2624 at least two weeks prior to a game.
All entrances into Ohio Stadium are accessible for guests with disabilities. Guests should enter the gate nearest to their ticketed section, with the following exceptions:
1) Seats in sections 1A, 3A, 3AA, 5A, or 5AA – Enter Gate 7.
2) Seats in sections 2A, 4A, 4AA, 6A, or 6AA – Enter Gate 8.
Wheelchair reserved seating is located in AA Deck, D Deck and the South Stands.
Four elevators, located on the west side of Ohio Stadium between Gates 17-23, provide access to disability seating on the Club Level and D Deck. A green sticker, issued by Athletics, is required on each game ticket to access the elevator. Elevators located near Sections 7 and 10 provide access to B and C Decks. One elevator located near Section 39 services the South Stands.
Closed captioning is provided on the primary scoreboard in the South Stands and on the north scoreboard. At least half of the television monitors in the concourse will feature closed captioning of television broadcasts.
Assistive listening devices are available at no charge at the Guest Services booths near Gates 13, 14 or 38. A driver’s license, credit card or other valid form of picture identification is required as a deposit.
Zero Waste at Ohio Stadium
The effort to become the largest stadium in the country to divert 90 percent of its trash from landfills through recycling and composting will continue this season in Ohio Stadium. The project is part of a larger and progressive effort on campus to demonstrate Ohio State’s leadership in sustainability. Landfill material was reduced by 61 percent over the 2010 campaign. Volunteers will be located through the concourse to assist fans with proper disposal.
Tailgating and other traditions
Tailgating at Buckeye football games is a long-standing tradition. Fan behavior before, during and after each game reflects on the university and the city. Guests should conduct themselves in a manner that allows everyone to enjoy the game in a safe, family-friendly atmosphere.
*The Ohio State Marching Band Skull Session starts two hours before kickoff of every home football game. Held in St. John Arena, the skull session is a popular concert/pep rally, with more than 10,000 fans in attendance. The event is free, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees should anticipate security checkpoints at the arena before entering. Doors open four hours prior to kickoff.
*For the seventh consecutive season, visiting guests will be welcomed to campus by students leading the “Best Fans in the Land” campaign. Members of the Ohio State Sportsmanship Council will canvas tailgate areas greeting visiting guests before each home game and encourage Ohio State fans to extend a courteous welcome. For additional information on the 2012 campaign activities, log on to http://go.osu.edu/EY4.
*All guests on campus are expected to obey all state and local laws.
*Law enforcement agencies enforce all applicable laws, including state laws regarding the use and possession of alcohol. Citations will be issued and arrests made for violation of laws prohibiting open containers of alcohol in public areas, including university parking lots and garages. Persons engaging in underage drinking, public indecency, disorderly conduct and other violations are subject to arrest.
*Complete policies on Ohio’s open container law State of Ohio and The Ohio State University Alcohol Policies are available.
*ONLY propane grills are permitted on surface parking lots. Grilling is not permitted on garage rooftops or inside parking garages, in accordance with state and local fire codes.
*Fire officials will inspect tents and enforce the law that requires a permit for tents larger than 200 square feet. Cooking is not allowed inside or under a tent or awning.
Tickets
Ohio Stadium has a seating capacity of 102,329 for home football games.
A limited number of single game tickets are currently available for select games on the 2012 schedule. Visit the Athletics Ticket Office website http://go.osu.edu/EYv for information on ticket availability and ticket exchange and ticket forwarding options.
Only tickets purchased or received from the Athletics Ticket Office, Ticketmaster or the official Buckeyes Ticket Exchange web site are guaranteed to be valid. Other purchases may be counterfeit, stolen, or otherwise void, and will receive an invalid scan. Guests with an invalid ticket scan at the stadium gates will not gain entry into the stadium.
,b>Student and Faculty Staff Tickets
Student and Faculty/Staff tickets are printed on distinctive “ID Required” ticket stock.
*Student tickets require a valid BuckID with each ticket for admittance.
*One valid university ID will allow two faculty/staff season ticket holders into a game.
*To allow the general public use of a ticket, the original student or faculty/staff ticket holder must come to the Athletics Ticket Office to authorize an upgrade and pay the difference in the ticket price. Service charges may apply.
*The deadline for ticket upgrades is one day prior to a game. Upgrades are not available on game day.
Discounted Tickets
Guests using discounted student and faculty/staff tickets must present a valid Ohio State ID (BuckID) along with their ticket, prior to entering Ohio Stadium.
Ticket Exchange/Forwarding Options
Ticket holders unable to attend a game have two selling options available through their online ticket account. Ticket Exchange allows fans to post tickets for sale on the Ohio State Ticketing website. It is the only resale service that guarantees valid ticket purchases. The second option, Ticket Forwarding, allows ticket-holders to electronically forward tickets to guests via email. Associated fees apply for each service.
Lost/Stolen Tickets
Guests reporting lost/stolen tickets should contact the ticket office in advance at (614) 292-2624. There is no guarantee that the tickets will be replaceable.
Traffic & Parking/Construction Advisory: Arrive Early
Fans are encouraged to arrive at least two to three hours prior to kickoff to park in a campus lot. Select streets on and surrounding campus become one-way moving toward Ohio Stadium approximately two hours prior to a game. Traffic patterns reverse at the end of games to streamline traffic leaving the campus area. All lots open at 5 a.m. on game day.
The 2012 football parking map and information on game day traffic and construction is available at http://go.osu.edu/EYu or http://go43210.osu.edu/. Day-of-game traffic and parking information is provided on 1650AM.
*Construction Impacts – 12th Avenue – Construction on 12th Avenue will affect both parking
and traffic. The 12th Avenue Garage will remain closed during the entire season for restoration. Eastbound ONLY traffic is maintained on the north side 12th between Neil Avenue and College Road as road construction continues. Pedestrian access will also be maintained.
Arps Garage – Access to the Arps Garage from High Street is permanently closed. The College Road entrance will remain open.
Fifth Avenue Dam – The Olentangy River Transformation Project, between Fifth and Lane avenues, will not affect traffic but fans may notice a significantly different landscape throughout the season. Preparations for the city project are underway with the removal of small sections of dam scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. Completion of the project next fall will return the river to a natural flow, improving water quality and the river’s ecosystem. Ohio State is working closely with the city and providing details and updates on the project at http://go43210.osu.edu/.
*Day-of-Game Parking -- Public parking is available in any “Day-of-Game” lot on a first-
come, first-served basis. The fee is $15 per vehicle and valid Ohio State parking permits are honored free of charge. The parking areas include the Ag Campus, Polo Field, Sisson and West Campus lots, Buckeye Lots at the Schottenstein Center, Ackerman Road Medical Center Lot and the Longaberger/Fawcett Center Field Lot. Campus garages available for public parking include Arps Hall (College Road entrance only), Lane Avenue, Ninth Avenue East and West, Ohio Union North and South, Neil Avenue, South Cannon, West Lane Avenue and 11th avenue. Parking is also still available at the South Campus Gateway however the shuttle service to Ohio Stadium has been discontinued.
*Disability Parking – Disability parking is consolidated in the north lot of St. John Arena and in the Lane Avenue Parking Garage. The parking fee is $15 and all spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
A valid Ohio State disability permit or State of Ohio disability placard with registration is required and individual to whom the placard is issued must be present in the vehicle. In an effort to ensure that there is adequate disability parking available for those who truly need it, officers will be checking disability placards at both locations. Anyone using a placard without having the registered owner in the car will be unable to park and subject to a citation.
Shuttles from the disability-parking locations will provide continuous adapted transportation services beginning six hours before kickoff and continuing one hour after the game. Shuttles will drop off guests on the east side of the stadium at Gate 22.
*Recreational Vehicles, Camper and Van Parking – Fans parking recreational vehicles,
campers and vans on the Ohio State campus, both season and single game, must pre-purchase permits through the Athletics Department website at http://go.osu.edu/EY3.
The RV Parking Lots are located next to Bill Davis Baseball Stadium and on Fred Taylor Drive, across from the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and open at 5 a.m. on home game days. Spaces are all pre-assigned and the designated space is held for the permit holder until 90 minutes before kickoff. There is no day-of-game parking available.
Fans who arrive prior to 5 a.m. or RV campers without a parking permit may park at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, located less than two miles from campus. Parking is $25 per day, per vehicle and electrical/water hookups are available. A shuttle service to and from the fairgrounds will be provided by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for a roundtrip fee of $5 per person.
*Season Parking Permits – Individuals who have purchased a season parking permit from
the Department of Athletics or Transportation & Parking Services will park in reserved lots located around Ohio Stadium, Fawcett Center, French Field House South, the North Polo Lot, the Schottenstein Center and the Riverbank Lots west of the Olentangy River. The Northwest, Tuttle Park Place, and North Cannon (Medical Center) garages are also available. Spaces are held up to 90 minutes before kickoff.
Alternative Transportation
*West Campus - Free bus shuttles with continuous service run from West Campus beginning six hours prior to kickoff and continue until one hour after the game. Shuttles pick up and drop off fans at Mount Hall on West Campus and the Sisson Hall footbridge located just west of Drake Union and Ohio Stadium.
* Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill – A free shuttle bus to and from campus on home games is available from the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill located at Grandview Yard near Olentangy River Road and Goodale Boulevard. The shuttle service is included with a $20 gift card purchase at the restaurant on game day. The shuttle will be transport riders to and from the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at RPAC beginning two hours before and after the game.
*COTA – provides express and local bus service to all Ohio State home football games.
Express service is available from the Ohio Expo Center on the Ohio State Fairgrounds, three hours prior to the game and two hours after. The parking fee is $5 per vehicle. Roundtrip bus fare is $5.50 per adult (children up to 12 years of age ride free---limit three children per family). COTA will also operate a shuttle from the Crosswoods Park and Ride in Worthington. Both routes will drop off and pick up guests just a few blocks from Ohio Stadium at Neil and 17th avenues. There will be no bus service from the Ohio Expo Center on Oct. 20 because of the Quarter Horse Congress. Contact: ">www.cota.com
*Pedal Instead – The “Pedal Instead” Bicycle Valet Program provides service at all home games. The bike corral is located at the east end of the Woody Hayes Bridge on the south side of Woody Hayes Drive. Contact: http://pedalinstead.org/
*Pedestrian Safety – Campus construction projects will be ongoing throughout the season.
Fans are encouraged to walk in clearly marked main intersections, especially following late afternoon and night games. Pedestrians and drivers are urged to follow the instructions of public safety officials working to ensure their safety.
