Joining the band on the field for the 57th year was the Ohio State University Alumni Band. Quadruple Script Ohios closed the halftime show, with current band members in the south end zone and alumni band members in the north, east and west.

TBDBITL’s formations remain a program highlight. This weekend’s show featured the Statue of Liberty, Revolutionary War soldiers and the Liberty Bell.

Saturday’s i-dotters were Robert Gawdyda, from Hubbard, Ohio, and alumni Jeremy M. Rogers (north), Mark B. Enochs (east) and Tom Goodman (west).

When his family immigrated to the United States, one of his relatives fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. Once settled, his father’s family plotted out land that would be farmed for generations. Hinzman, a fifth-year student at The Ohio State University and member of the offensive line for the Buckeye football team, grew up on that same 300-acre farm.

“A dairy farm is an every day, twice a day, no breaks sort of thing,” he said. “It instilled in me a lot of values. I learned from my grandma and grandpa, who lived on a farm close by.”

As Hinzman puts it, farming isn’t a job; it’s a way of life – which made training for football the fun part of his day, no matter how challenging it was.

“Whenever we’re training, doing something really difficult, I’m like, ‘Man, this is fun,’” he said. “I don’t know if the guys understand that this is time when we’re allowed to go do something, hang out together.”

It is the values he learned from farming that have made Hinzman a success at Ohio State. He is currently working on his second bachelor’s degree and is a three-time university scholar-athlete, as well as a 2025 first-team All-American.

Now, he wants to help people with the same values give back to the communities that taught them. Hinzman founded the Grit & Grain Foundation with his father, Jon. The foundation will give kids from rural and blue-collar communities more opportunities to succeed, Hinzman said. 

“Through mentorship, athletics, education and service, we want to help young people build confidence, develop strong character and take pride in where they come from.

“I want people to hone in on their values, that work ethic that was instilled in you and let that take you to your next level,” he said. “It could be sports or something else, like engineering, that becomes your next great opportunity. You grow your own legacy and then come back to the community to pick up that teaching role.”

“Community is important to our players and to our team.,” said head football coach Ryan Day. “To see Carson take on this role of supporting the people and the industry that made him who he is today, I am very proud of him and his efforts.”

Ohio State football players are very visible to the public, and with that comes responsibility, Hinzman said,

“It’s only right for us to give back to the community. Those are the people that put us in this position and give us the opportunity to be Ohio State football players. They’re what makes Ohio State football great,” he said. “Without them, we’d just be a club team hitting pads.”

Having worked with his grandparents, Hinzman knows that older farmers often need help, either with immediate needs or longer-term goals.

“Those people that developed the community” deserve respect and support, he said.

“It’s important for the next generation to hear about farming because right now, people don’t think farming is the coolest thing to do,” he said. “It is hard work, it is demanding but it’s also one of the most rewarding things you can do, work the land.”

Hinzman is a fixture at the university’s annual Farm Science Review, where he emphasizes the significance of small farms. And he walks the walk, too. Hinzman has personally helped farmers clean up their land after storms. He brings his Buckeye teammates with him when he can.

“For the guys who grew up in the city, who grew up in the suburbs, this is a very different lifestyle,” he said. “For them to see that this is the backbone of America and how farmers support you, that’s important.”

And football players are made for lifting bales of hay, he added.

“We have a lot of big guys who can move a lot of weight, that’s for sure.”

The class of 2026 includes J.T. Barrett (football), Katie Borchers (women’s cross country/track & field), Diane Dixon (women’s track & field), Jincy Dunne (women's hockey), Danielle Meyer (women’s volleyball), Oyesade Olatoye (women’s track & field), Chris Sanders (football/men’s track & field), Nick Swisher (baseball) and Stan White (football).

The Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 1977 and has inducted 510 athletes, coaches and administrators through 2025.

Details on the official ceremonies for the class of 2026 will be announced at a later date.

J.T. Barrett, Football, 2014-17

J.T. Barrett is one of the great quarterbacks and leaders in the history of Ohio State football. He led the team to two Big Ten championships (2014 and 2017). He started 44 games and set the school record with 38 victories, including starting four wins over Michigan. He set a total of 39 Ohio State (34) and Big Ten Conference (five) records, including some of the most prestigious for a quarterback: Big Ten records for career total offensive yards (12,697), touchdown passes (104) and touchdowns responsible for (147), and Ohio State records for career completion percentage (63.5), touchdown passes (104), passing yards (9,434) and quarterback rushing yards (3,263). His 43 touchdowns scored are fifth-most at Ohio State, trailing only Pete Johnson, Keith Byars, Eddie George and Ezekiel Elliott. A Top 10 vote-getter in the Heisman Trophy race twice, Barrett was responsible for 147 passing and rushing touchdowns to rank fourth in NCAA history in that category. He also ranked 17th in NCAA history in career rushing yards by a quarterback (and third among Big Ten quarterbacks) and he is one of two Division I quarterbacks to throw at least 100 touchdown passes and rush for at least 40.

Barrett graduated in December 2016 with a degree in communication.

Katie Borchers, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, 2012-15

Katie Borchers rewrote the track & field and cross country record books during her time at Ohio State.

Borchers is the only two-time cross country All-American in school history. She was an individual qualifier for the 2013 NCAA Championships and finished 40th. In 2014, Borchers led the Buckeyes to the program’s second team appearance in the NCAA Championships and finished 34th individually. She was twice selected as an All-Great Lakes Region honoree.

In track and field, Borchers earned a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team in 2013 and All-Big Ten Second Team in 2014. Upon graduation, she held seven records (indoor 800m, indoor 1000m, mile, outdoor 800m, outdoor 1500m, sprint medley relay and distance medley relay). She is a three-time Big Ten Champion in the 800m (2014 outdoor, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor).

The 2015 Big Ten Medal of Honor winner also excelled in the classroom and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Diane Dixon, Women’s Track & Field, 1983

Diane Dixon was a trailblazer for the Ohio State women’s track & field program, setting the standards for excellence in 1983. She captured the 1983 NCAA Outdoor 440y Championship after winning the Big Ten 300m indoor championship earlier that same year. Dixon holds the program records in each of those events and also ran a leg on the Ohio State record 4x400y relay squad. She continues to hold the Jesse Owens Classic and Ohio Stadium records in the 200m and 400m.

Following her time at Ohio State, Dixon went on to earn a silver medal in the 4x400m relay and compete in the 400m at the 1988 Olympics. She served as an alternate for the 1984 Olympics.

Jincy Dunne, Women’s Hockey, 2017-20

Jincy Dunne is one of Buckeye hockey’s best blue liners and was a key contributor to the program’s rise to national prominence. A four-time captain, Dunne was a member of the program’s first NCAA Tournament and Frozen Four team. The two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-WCHA performer also helped the team to its first WCHA Final Faceoff Championship in program history in 2020.

Dunne became the first player in program history to be named a two-time First Team All-American and is the only Buckeye to earn All-America honors three times in her career. The 2020 Ohio State Athlete of the Year skated in 147 games for her career and finished with 99 points on 17 goals and 82 assists.

Dunne also became the second Buckeye women’s hockey player to represent the United States at the Olympic Games, helping the team to a silver medal finish in 2022. She is also a two-time IIHF Women’s World Championship silver medalist for Team USA. Dunne currently plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey League for the Minnesota Frost after being drafted to the league in its inaugural season in 2023.

Danielle Meyer, Women’s Volleyball, 2004-07

Danielle Meyer was a two-time AVCA All-American (2005, 2006) during her time at Ohio State. She was also named AVCA All-Region and an ASICS/Volleyball Magazine Honorable Mention All-American each of those two seasons.

The three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection (2005, 2006, 2007) led the Buckeyes to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a regional final appearance in 2004. Meyer currently ranks fourth in program history in career kills (1,760) as one of just five Buckeyes in program history to surpass the 1,500-kill threshold. She continues to rank in the top 10 in program history in seven additional career categories, including third in points (2,131.5) and fourth in points per set (4.75).

Meyer also excelled in the classroom, earning a spot on the 2008 Academic All-American First Team and the 2006 Academic All-District IV Second Team.

Oyesade Olatoye, Women’s Track & Field, 2015-21

Oyesade Olatoye raised the standard for Ohio State throwers. The 2019 NCAA Weight Throw Champion tallied nine NCAA First Team All-America accolades and won seven Big Ten Championships during her time at Ohio State. In 2019, she was named USTFCCCA Great Lakes Field Athlete of the Year and Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year. Olatoye also carved out a spot on the Bowerman watch list in 2019. She was selected as the Big Ten honoree for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year and was a 2021 NCAA Today’s Top 10 nominee.

As she wrapped up her collegiate career, Olatoye held four program records – indoor shot put (58’8”), weight throw (80’3”), outdoor shot put (58’8”) and hammer throw (229’3”). She still holds the program records for the weight throw and hammer throw and ranks in the top five in program history in the discus throw (185’11”).

Olatoye excelled in the classroom as a six-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete, five-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and five-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She received postgraduate scholarships from Wayne Duke, NCAA and Varsity O.

After competing for the United States in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, she began representing Nigeria in 2019. Since then, Olatoye has secured six global medals and consistently ranks among the top hammer throw athletes worldwide. She is a 2024 Paris Olympian and currently holds a top 35 world ranking in hammer throw. Alongside her athletic pursuits, Olatoye is committed to becoming a physician, continuing her academic and professional journey.

Chris Sanders, Men’s Track & Field/Football, 1992-94

Chris Sanders was a dual-sport athlete at Ohio State, excelling at football and as a member of the track & field team. He earned Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year honors, across all sports, in 1994.

As a member of the football team, Sanders was a three-year starter at wide receiver, totaling 71 career receptions for 1,120 total yards, and helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title in 1993. As a senior in 1994, he had 35 receptions for 533 yards and a team-leading eight touchdown receptions.

In track & field, Sanders was one of the best long jumpers – and athletes – the program has ever seen. The three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection earned a spot on the USTFCCCA All-America First Team on 10 occasions in four different events (long jump, 200m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay). Sanders captured six Big Ten Championships – 1992 indoor long jump, 1992 outdoor long jump and 4x100m relay, 1993 outdoor 4x100m relay, and 1994 outdoor 200m and 4x100m relay. He ran a leg on the winning 4x100m relay at the 1993 Big Ten Championships that set an outdoor championship record (39.33). Sanders held the program record for the indoor long jump (26’9.75”) for 34 years, a record that was just broken this season. He also ranks fourth in the outdoor long jump (26’7”).

Nick Swisher, Baseball, 2000-02

Nick Swisher was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2000 and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2001 and 2002. Swisher helped the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Tournament title in 2002 and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team in 2000. He remains in the top 10 in program history in career home runs (35), RBI (156) and walks (131).

Swisher was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft. During his 11-year MLB career, he played for the A’s, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. He won the 2009 World Series with the Yankees. Swisher now serves as a special adviser for the Yankees and works as a baseball broadcaster.

Stan White, Football, 1969-71

Stan White Sr. was a standout for the Ohio State football team in the late 1960s and early 1970s and also competed in baseball and men’s basketball during his time at the university.

White played football for Ohio State under legendary head coach Woody Hayes and was a three-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes from 1969-71. He received All-Big Ten honors in 1971, finishing the season with 100 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and a defensive touchdown. He also led the Buckeyes with 106 total tackles en route to winning the 1970 National Championship. When he finished his college career, he held the school records for both career tackles, tackles in a season and tackles in a game. He was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 1972 NFL Draft and spent time with both the Colts (1972-79) and Detroit Lions (1980-82) and in the USFL. White went on to earn a law degree from the University of Baltimore and served as a television analyst for the Baltimore Ravens.

All Pro Dad is a program that strives to help fathers strengthen their family relationships. Participants have access to tips and ideas in daily emails, weekly podcasts, monthly meetings and a yearly All Pro Dad Experience. The annual event, held at multiple professional and NCAA football venues across the country, lets fathers, as well as other guardians, create memories with their children.

In March of this year, Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced the event, which was made possible through a partnership between All Pro Dad and the Ohio Department of Children & Youth.

Tressel spoke at the event, saying how happy he was to be back at Ohio State and how important the cause is to him.

“We always want to get all pro players, but what we really want to build is all pro dads,” Tressel said, quoting Tony Dungy, All Pro Dad’s founder.

“People ask all the time, ‘What was your greatest victory?’” Tressel said. “Your greatest victory is watching what your guys do later – what kind of dads they become, what kind of co-workers they become, what kind of citizens they become and what kind of spouses they become.”

Joining the lieutenant governor was Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day. When the Columbus date was announced, Day immediately agreed to host participating families at the WHAC and asked former and current Buckeyes to attend, Tressel said.

“… [W]hat he can do for the community is very important to him,” Tressel said. “… [W]hen he can carve out a minute to help someone, he’s always available.”

Day lost his own father when he was 9 years old. An army of people stepped up to support him, he said.

“I looked at it like an opportunity because I was able to choose the attributes [from] a bunch of men in my community that I wanted to emulate down the road,” he said. “Thank God for my grandfather and my uncles, my father-in-law and the coaches that I had – they stepped in. They were my father. And then from there I wanted to become a good dad for my son R.J., who’s here tonight, [and] for my daughters.”

Guy Bolon attended the event with his son, Devin, and his grandson, Archer. All three are Ohio State fans, even 3-year-old Archer.

“We watch every Saturday,” he said of the Buckeyes. “This has been interesting so far. I’ve enjoyed hearing the speakers.”

Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. said he didn’t hesitate when Day asked him to attend.

“It’s like, ‘Where can I sign up?’” he said. “The kids will remember this for the rest of their lives. It’s a great opportunity to give back.”

For 22 years, APR data has provided a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for academic eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance. The most recent APR scores are based on a multiyear rate that averages scores from the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.

Ohio State posted a cross-sport multiyear rate of 991. Of the 31 Buckeye sport programs in the data, nine have a multiyear score of 1000, with another eight posting a score of at least 990. Ohio State football is one of two Division I football programs with a score of 1000. The 2024-25 single-year rate for Ohio State as a department was 995, the highest Ohio State score since 2019-20.

John Davidson, the university’s faculty athletics representative, highlighted the success across the department’s programs.

“Despite increasing volatility in the age of NIL and nearly unlimited transfer in college athletics, Ohio State shows remarkably high and consistent academic achievement across its sports — and continues to strive for improvement,” Davidson said. “Two-thirds of our teams improved or maintained their single-year APR scores, and 20 of those teams scored 1,000 for the 2024-25 year. This is a testament to the concern for academics that is built into the athletics culture here. Ohio State’s student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff have an unparalleled dedication to success in the classroom.”

In all, nine programs had perfect multiyear scores, with men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, field hockey, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball joining football.

“The results of the Buckeye football program will garner the most attention, and rightly so — to attain perfect multiyear rates in three consecutive years sets a standard that few programs across the country could even conceive of meeting,” Davidson said. “But beyond that, we should be exceptionally proud that 29% of Ohio State’s sports teams show perfect multiyear scores in this cycle.”

In the single-year results for 2024-25, 20 Ohio State programs had perfect scores: men’s basketball, men’s cross country, football, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s ice hockey, men’s swimming, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, wrestling, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s fencing, field hockey, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball.

This academic year, 227 Buckeyes have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, including 137 honored from fall sports, with spring and at-large sports honors to be awarded later this month, and 804 were recognized as Ohio State Scholar-Athletes. At autumn commencement, 42 current and former student-athletes received their degrees, and 181 received their degrees at spring commencement on May 11.

Additional Ohio State Academic Progress Rate details (2022-25)

• 24 programs either maintained or increased their single-year APR score from 2023-24 to 2024-25: baseball, field hockey, football, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s ice hockey, men’s swimming, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, men’s wrestling, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s fencing, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, women’s swimming, women’s tennis, women’s track, women’s volleyball.
• Based on NCAA research, only 25.5% of NCAA Division I programs have a perfect (1000) multiyear APR.
• 29% (9/31) of Ohio State programs currently have a perfect (1000) multiyear APR.
• 21 programs either maintained or increased their multiyear APR score from 2023-24 to 2024-25: field hockey, football, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s swimming, men’s tennis, men’s track, men’s volleyball, women’s cross country, women’s fencing, women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball.
• 23 programs were at or exceeded the national average multiyear APR in their respective sport: baseball, field hockey, football, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s fencing, men’s golf, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, men’s track, men’s volleyball, men’s wrestling, women’s cross country, women’s fencing, women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, women’s softball, women’s tennis, women’s track, women’s volleyball.
• 10 programs earned multiyear APRs in the top 10% of all squads in their respective sport: field hockey, football, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s volleyball, women’s cross country, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball.
• This is the third consecutive multiyear perfect score for football.
• Ohio State and the University of Alabama are the only football programs (from both FBS and FCS) that currently have perfect (1000) multiyear APRs.
• The overall Ohio State multiyear APR increased to 991 (from 990) for the 2024-25 academic year.
• Based on NCAA research, the multiyear average APR is 986.
• 26 Ohio State programs have a single-year APR of 990 or greater.
• 17 Ohio State program have a multiyear APR of 990 or greater.

Honored before the game were women’s team players T’yana Todd and Chance Gray and men’s team players Brandon Noel, Christoph Tilly and Bruce Thornton. Also honored in the pregame ceremony were student managers Aaron Plum, Akshay Diora and Reese Sauerbrun and support team members Jenna Wiseman, athletic training; Jordan Meyer, equipment; and D.J. Pelles, digital media.

Brutus support team members Tyler Wisman, Caleb Kies, Jeff Moody and Kurt Steelman received recognition

Cheer seniors Emily Schaaf, Bella Eldredge, Ryleigh Stelletell, Aiden Garramone, Giovanni DeSantis, Michael Osinski and Josh Sobecks, and dance seniors Isabelle Davis, Bennet Espinda-Banick, Lauren Wainz and Molly Youngblood were acknowledged for their efforts.

Honored at halftime were managers Allie Hiegel, Kevin Houston, Jaydon Pearson and Zach Sheaffer.  

"It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to achieve something I’ve been working towards for 16 years,” said Dunne, a junior on The Ohio State University women’s hockey team. “Even when I was 4, I was competitive, and if someone had told me what the Olympics were, I would have wanted it.”

Dunne is one of five current women’s hockey players heading to Milan in February, where they will join seven Ohio State alumni. A forward for Team USA, Dunne could face off against her teammates as they represent their home countries of Sweden and Finland.

“I can’t wait to play against my teammates,” Dunne said. “We already compete enough in practice that it will be very normal for us.”

She also looks forward to some friendly banter with her teammates, or “throwing chirps” as it’s known on the ice. “I know some of the girls are going to throw some chirps around, and it’s going to be fun. That’s what we want — we want to play hockey. We know we’ll leave it all on the ice, and then we’ll be friends again.”

Dunne has established herself as a powerful athlete for the Buckeyes, scoring the winning goal in the 2024 NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship and setting program records for single-season points and game-winning goals. She also serves as an assistant team captain and is pursuing a degree in social work. 

“My commitments as an Olympian and a student-athlete go hand in hand. As much as I want to prepare for the Olympics, I want to continue to be better as a Buckeye,” Dunne said. “Ohio State has some of the best staff in the world, and having those resources makes my life so much easier to help train and focus.”

As a first-time Olympian, Dunne hopes to take full advantage of every aspect of the experience.

“I’m just really excited to enjoy all the Olympics have to offer,” Dunne said. “I want to soak it all in, do what’s asked of me to win gold and enjoy every moment that’s given to me.”

What she is most looking forward to, however, is connecting with athletes from around the world.

“I am so excited to meet people from all walks of life and to learn how they became an Olympian and what their goals are in life,” Dunne said.

Fortunately, she was able to get a few tips from someone who’s done it before. Dunne’s older sister, Jincy, was also an Ohio State women’s hockey player from 2015 to 2020, and she represented Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“Her best advice is one of the most cliché: Have fun and play free,” Dunne said. “Her biggest hope for me is just to enjoy it because that is something that’s challenging when there’s so much pressure.”

Dunne has taken that message to heart. While she’d love to bring home a medal, her main goal is to bring her namesake spirit of fun and happiness to the ice.

“It really is an honor to represent your country, and I don’t take that for granted,” Dunne said. “What an opportunity to play on the big stage and play some of the best hockey. I’m choosing to look at it with a lot of joy.”

In her Olympic debut on Feb. 5, Dunne scored a goal to contribute to Team USA’s 5-1 win over Czechia. 

The revenue is part of a new report filed with the NCAA and places the Buckeyes among the most successful and financially sound athletic departments in the country.

“As the collegiate athletics model continues to evolve, successfully navigating the financial landscape is a must and I am proud of everyone within our program who made last year a success,” Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork said. “While there will be continued challenges to our economic model, we will strive to be best in class by continuing to innovate and stay aggressive in generating new revenue streams while also managing our expenses as soundly as possible. We are grateful for every Buckeye fan, donor, season ticket holder, and all students who support our program in numerous ways.”

Success on the field contributed to strong box-office attendance. Ticket sales, the largest single source of athletics revenue, totaled $81,650,892, an improvement over $58,788,651 in FY 2024, when there were only six home football games.

The Buckeyes played eight home games in FY 2025 and hosted a College Football Playoff game against Tennessee in the new playoff format, along with playing in CFP bowl games against Oregon, Texas and the national championship final. Ohio State defeated Notre Dame to win its 9th national title.

Ohio State athletics also received a record $68,284,273 in donor-funded contributions. The fundraising total from individuals, foundations and other supporters shows the depth and breadth of support for the Buckeyes and eclipsed the $52,525,557 raised the previous fiscal year.

Media rights fees, including television and radio, grew to $64,917,009, up from $52,794,280 in the same period last year.

Department expenses totaled $320,394,965 for the fiscal year.  The department distributed more than $24.9 million in athletic student aid. That includes tuition, aid for student-athletes who are medically inactive, and other attendance-related expenses. The support is one part of the university’s holistic “Circle of Care” approach to student-athlete well-being.

Ohio State supports 16 men’s teams, 17 women’s teams, three mixed teams and approximately 1,000 student-athletes. The department is self-funded and receives no tuition or tax dollars.

In the most recent Graduation Success Rate report, the Buckeyes posted single-year and four-year rolling scores of 94 and 93, respectively. Those numbers remained the same for the third year in a row and are the highest in school history.

The NCAA established the GSR in 2002 as a means of understanding student-athletes’ academic completion rates more concretely. It does so by accounting for two groups that play an increasingly prominent role in collegiate athletics: mid-year, first-time enrollees and transfers. This year’s numbers include the 2015-16 to 2018-19 freshman cohorts.

“The consistency of Ohio State student-athletes stands out as they maintained a one-year GSR mark of 94 and a four-year mark of 93,” Faculty Athletics Representative John E. Davidson said. “These high scores reflect a culture of care that values academic achievement as a prime component of the world-class student-athlete experience.”

Twenty-three Ohio State teams had a GSR of 90 or better, including 15 with a perfect 100.

Artistic swimming, women’s cross country/track and field, men’s fencing, women’s fencing, field hockey, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, pistol, rifle, women’s soccer, softball men’s tennis, women’s tennis and wrestling all had a 100 in the GSR.

Eight programs recorded GSR scores of 90 or better: baseball, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball.

In all, 25 teams maintained or improved their score from the previous year, including 12 teams that maintained a perfect score or improved upon the prior year.

“That two-thirds of the 25 teams maintaining or improving on last year’s score attained a perfect 100 speaks to the commitment of coaches, the support of the Student Athlete Support Services Office staff, and, most of all, the incredible dedication of student-athletes to succeed to the utmost of their abilities in all their endeavors,” Davidson said.

The football program maintained the program-best score of 89 it recorded last year, the fourth year it improved or maintained its GSR. 

Ohio State has added a game against Navy, scheduled for Sept. 1, 2029. The contest will be that season’s opening game. In order to add that game, Ohio State and the University of Nevada have agreed to move their previously scheduled game on that date to Sept. 7, 2030.

Ohio State also rounded out its 2029 non-conference schedule by adding a game against Youngstown State, which will be played at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 15, 2029. The Buckeyes have one game remaining in order to fill out the team’s non-conference schedules over the next five years: the season opener on Aug. 31, 2030.

Ohio State 2026 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 5 – Ball State
Sept. 12 – at Texas
Sept. 19 – Kent State

Ohio State 2027 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 4 – Bowling Green
Sept. 11 – New Hampshire
Sept. 18 – Alabama

Ohio State 2028 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 2 – Buffalo
Sept. 9 – at Alabama 
Sept. 16 – Northern Illinois

Ohio State 2029 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 1 – Navy
Sept. 8 – Charlotte
Sept. 15 – Youngstown State

Ohio State 2030 Non-Conference Schedule
Aug. 31 – TBD
Sept. 7 – Nevada
Sept. 14 – at Georgia

2025 Single Game Tickets Available Soon

On-sale dates to purchase 2025 Ohio State single game football tickets and to select games for the Pick 3 mini-plan option are set and are approaching soon. The dates for the mini-plan sale and single game tickets for students, alumni association members and the general public are as follows: 

• June 6 / 4 p.m.: Deadline for students to request ticket packages;
• June 16 / 10 a.m.: Pick 3 mini-plan; Fans can build their own mini-plan by selecting one of these two games (either Grambling or Rutgers) and adding any two games from this trio of games: Ohio University, Minnesota and UCLA;
• June 24 / 10 a.m.: OSU Alumni Association members single game presale; and
• June 27 / 10 a.m.: General public single game sales.

Prices for the Pick 3 mini-plan will start as low as $190. Depending on availability, fans will be able to choose the best available seating from multiple price zones in Ohio Stadium to build their package.

Where available, single game ticket prices will start as low as $64 and will vary across price zones and opponents. More information on mini-plan and single game ticket options can be found by visiting https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.

2025 Ohio State Football Schedule

Aug. 30 – Texas – 12 Noon / FOX

Sept. 6 – Grambling – 3:30 p.m. / BTN

Sept. 13 – Ohio University – 7 p.m. / Peacock

Sept. 20 – Off

Sept. 27 – at Washington

Oct. 4 – Minnesota (Homecoming)

Oct. 11 – at Illinois

Oct. 18 – at Wisconsin

Oct. 25 – Off

Nov. 1 – Penn State

Nov. 8 – at Purdue 

Nov. 15 – UCLA

Nov. 22 – Rutgers

Nov. 29 – at Michigan – 12 Noon / FOX

“How is college? Is it better than high school?”

Pittman, a student at East Community Learning Center in Akron, Ohio, and four other students from Akron-area schools spent the day at Ohio State. The students attend schools that are supported by LeBron James’ I PROMISE program, which serves more than 1,500 Akron-area students and their families with wraparound support, resources and family programming.

I PROMISE students attended a class in Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, spoke with students, had lunch and took a campus tour.

But the highlight of the day, for high school and college students alike, was when the four-time NBA champion joined the class via Zoom to discuss his philanthropic and community work.

Upon the recommendation of the University Senate and pending approval by the Board of Trustees in the spring, James will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. He wanted to speak to a class as part of receiving the degree.

James spoke with this specific Glenn College class because he is passionate about bettering his community, he said. He stressed the importance of listening to the people he wanted to help.

“I knew that I always wanted to give back to my community,” he said. “We took a deep dive into what we actually needed to do to create societal change. Being around families, being around the kids, listening to our community, they let us know and gave us the spearhead on what’s needed. It was our job to listen, implement and apply things that was needed to create that societal change.”

Using his platform is key, James said.

“I have too much of a platform and too many resources to not give back in order to create a change that’s long-term.”

Students had the chance to ask the four-time NBA most valuable player questions. Kendall Ahern, an Akron-native and a graduate student, started hers on a personal note.

“I was lucky enough to benefit from your early foundation work in 2009 with the Bikeathons,” she said. “Today, as a graduate student, who has worked in the advocacy and nonprofit space, I still cite your leadership as a massive inspiration.”

Ahern asked James how he plans to pass the torch and inspire a new generation of leaders. He spoke about the significance of generational change and the ripple effects of his work.

“It started in 2009,” he said, “And now you’re at Ohio State and you still have this passion. You still have that leadership that you saw 15, 16 years ago. It’s living through you. That’s what we hope for.”

After James spoke to the class, students sat in small discussion groups. It was then that Pittman asked Ahern and undergraduates Kristin Close and Nailah Ddamba her question about college. All three assured her that college was a great experience.

“I think the ability to really focus on what you’re interested in is huge,” Close said. “In high school, you’re forced to do English, math, social studies. I love being able to take classes I really like. It makes doing the work a lot easier.”

Each student had a passion they shared with the group, including healthcare, fashion and business, and human rights. James spoke at length about passion in advocacy work.

“When it comes to taking a public stand on an issue, it has to be something for me that I feel passionate about,” he said. “It has to be something I want to talk about because then it’s going to be super organic and super powerful.”

Hearing James speak inspired Close.

“I have to say, hearing LeBron James tell me to keep doing the work, I was like, ‘Okay, I will. I’ll keep going.’”

As his time with the students ran out, James thanked them for their questions, encouraged them to keep working hard and reminded them to use their own platforms.

“It was an absolute delight and treat to be able to be on with you guys,” he said. “… It starts with you guys, at your age or even younger. You guys are the future. … You guys have big outreach and you guys are at The Ohio State University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. You guys are highly respected. People see that badge; they see that name. People respect that.”

The university’s Office of Student Life led the event that brought Ohio State students, parents, alumni, university leaders and others to the American Hilton hotel to pack meals for distribution to those in need in the Atlanta area.

The event, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honors the legacy of the civil rights leader. More than 100 volunteers packed thousands of meals over two hours. The meals will be distributed by the nonprofit group Core2Globe.org through the food pantry at Fulton County’s Banneker High School. 

Coca-Cola served as a sponsor for the event.

“As a Georgia Buckeye myself, I can share that we are thrilled to be in Atlanta, working with the Core2Globe team. This city has welcomed Buckeye Nation with warmth and enthusiasm, so it’s only right that we take the time to give back to this special place,” said Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for Student Life. “Ohio State takes pride in supporting local communities, both the ones we call home and the ones we visit.”

Ohio State has a tradition of organizing a service project in the host city of its bowl games, dating back to the 1998 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Most recently, the school teamed up with the University of Oregon for a similar food packing project at this year’s Rose Bowl.

The Ohio State University football team is scheduled to play seven home games next fall, highlighted by a season-opening game v. Texas along with Ohio Stadium visits from Grambling, Ohio, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA and Rutgers.

The 2025 season marks the second in a new, expanded 18-team Big Ten. Of the four west coast teams, Ohio State plays two of them – at Washington (Sept. 27) and home v. UCLA (Nov. 15). The trip to Seattle will be Ohio State’s first since 2007.

Schedules are arranged so that each Big Ten team will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice, and not more than three times, in a five-year period.

In addition to Texas, which is making its second trek to Columbus (2005), the nonconference portion of the schedule features a first-ever meeting against prominent FBS program Grambling State University and the first meeting since 2010 with Ohio University, the 2024 Mid American Conference champion.

Ohio State’s game at Illinois will mark its first trip to Champaign in 10 years, since a 28-3 win on Nov. 14, 2015. The Buckeyes have visited their other three conference road sites for next year – at Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan – as recently as the 2024 season.

There will be two off weeks: Sept. 20 (after the Game 3 home game v. Ohio) and Oct. 25, following Ohio State’s road game at Wisconsin on Oct. 18.

The 18 conference teams will be vying to compete in the 2025 Big Ten championship game Dec. 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the winner claiming the league’s automatic entry into the College Football Playoffs.

2025 Season Ticket Information

Ohio State season ticket holders for the 2024 season were sent renewal information in November and can renew their seats anytime until March 1. Those interested in becoming season ticket holders or learning more about other ticket packages for the 2025 season should visit https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.

2025 Ohio State Football Schedule
Aug. 30 – Texas
Sept. 6 – Grambling
Sept. 13 – Ohio
Sept. 20 – Off
Sept. 27 – at Washington
Oct. 4 – Minnesota
Oct. 11 – at Illinois
Oct. 18 – at Wisconsin
Oct. 25 – Off
Nov. 1 – Penn State
Nov. 8 – at Purdue
Nov. 15 – UCLA
Nov. 22 – Rutgers
Nov. 29 – at Michigan

In an open letter to Buckeye Nation, Ross Bjork, senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, outlined some of the changes and a direction for the future.

A U.S. District Court recently issued preliminary approval to a settlement agreement in the lawsuits collectively referred to as House vs. NCAA. Ohio State supports the settlement and is hopeful the court will issue final approval in April 2025. At that time, Ohio State and its Big Ten and NCAA Division I peers will institute a number of significant changes, including paying athletes in men’s and women’s sports for their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. 

Beginning in 2025-2026, in accordance with the settlement and changes in NCAA rules and regulations, Ohio State will compensate student-athletes for their NIL rights, also referred to as “revenue sharing,” leading to direct NIL payments that are anticipated to exceed $20 million annually. 

“The intercollegiate athletics landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation,” Bjork said. “And through this change, it is our goal to continue the tradition of supporting 36 teams, prioritizing academics, winning and maximizing the student-athlete experience on and off the playing fields.”  

The Department of Athletics will continue to be financially stable while generating its own resources. Thanks to the support of Buckeye Nation – alumni, fans, donors, corporate partners and others – the department fields the country’s largest public university athletics program without funding from tax or tuition dollars.  

“Private support from alumni, fans, corporate partners, foundations and individual donors has long been essential to the success of Ohio State Athletics as a self-sustaining department building toward and maintaining a standard of excellence,” Bjork said. “We are grateful and thankful to our donors for their support through the years and for their continued commitment to Buckeye sports.”  

In addition to funding student-athlete scholarships, donor giving supports the “Circle of Care,” a holistic approach to student-athlete well-being. The Circle of Care brings together a dedicated network of professionals and resources to address the diverse needs of all Ohio State’s varsity student-athletes, including in the critical areas of academic support, sports psychology and mental health care, career preparation for life after sports, nutrition and sports performance. 

“Philanthropy will remain crucial to providing the resources necessary to strengthening and advancing our Circle of Care for all our student-athletes, ensuring that we preserve and enhance the proud legacy of Ohio State athletics,” Bjork said. 

Direct institutional NIL payments are just one of several structural changes within the department.

The NCAA will now implement roster limits nationally rather than scholarship limits for each sport. As a result, the number of Ohio State varsity student-athletes will decrease by approximately 150, but the total number of Ohio State athletic scholarships available will increase by 91 scholarships. This new investment will allow Ohio State’s programs to continue to compete for and win championships.

Currently, most Ohio State student-athletes do not receive a full scholarship and 30% receive no athletic aid. As the department transitions from scholarship limits to roster limits, the number of student-athletes provided full or partial scholarships is expected to increase for most sports. All varsity sports will continue to offer scholarship opportunities.

In addition, and unrelated to the House settlement, the athletics department has determined that the co-ed rifle and pistol teams will become women-only sports by 2029. 

The department is actively reviewing a range of initiatives to support increased costs, including FY25 budget cuts, expanding the Buckeye Club and Champions Fund philanthropic arm of the department, a revised football season ticket plan for 2025, increasing corporate sponsorships, new NIL agreements with student-athletes, naming opportunities across athletics facilities, and new strategic initiatives around licensing and branding. 

As the director of player development, Sheldon will play a pivotal role in enhancing student-athlete growth both on and off the court. She will work closely with the coaching staff, athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches to develop and implement comprehensive, individualized player development plans. Sheldon will serve as a mentor for student-athletes, helping them develop leadership skills, confidence and a strong work ethic by fostering a high-performance environment focused on skills development, overall personal growth, player development and post-graduation success.

“I’m extremely excited to add both Jacy and Katie to the staff,” McGuff said. “As former Buckeyes they both possess a passion for this program that will be instrumental in helping us continue to compete at the highest level of women’s college basketball. Together they will have a big presence in the community as we proceed with growing our already incredible fan base.”

Smith joins the Buckeye coaching staff after 11 seasons coaching in the WNBA. She spent the past five seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, serving as the associate head coach since 2022. Smith helped lead the Lynx to the 2024 WNBA Finals this season. Minnesota has made playoff appearances in four of the five seasons with Smith on staff.

Prior to her time with Minnesota, Smith became an assistant coach with the New York Liberty in 2013 after retiring from the WNBA as a player that same year. She was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2016 season and took over as head coach for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. 

“I’m both excited and grateful to return to my alma mater, Ohio State, and to the city my family and I proudly call home,” Smith said. “Ohio State and its women’s basketball program played such a pivotal role in my journey and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the program that helped shape me. I look forward to joining Coach McGuff and the entire staff in guiding and supporting these talented young women as they chase their dreams. Together, we’re committed to building on Ohio State’s proud legacy and taking our program to championship levels in a fiercely competitive Big Ten. I can’t wait to see and connect with the Buckeye community – around town and at our games. Go Bucks!”

Smith is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. The two-time WNBA Champion with the Detroit Shock was also a two-time All-WNBA First Team selection during her time with the Lynx, also becoming the 2001 WNBA scoring champion. Smith is a seven-time WNBA All-Star and was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2008. In 2011, Smith was named one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time and retired from playing in 2013 as the all-time leading scorer in women’s professional basketball. She is a 2006 WNBA All-Decade Team member and a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2004, 2008). 

Smith was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001 in her first year of eligibility – a first among Buckeye women’s basketball players – and her jersey was retired in January 2001. She led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Championship during the 1992-93 season and then became the first Big Ten women’s basketball team to make an appearance in the NCAA Championship game. Smith became the first freshman since Cheryl Miller to be honored as a Kodak All-American First Team member after also being named National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

She capped her collegiate career as the 1996 Big Ten Player of the Year and a Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball recipient. Smith scored 2,578 points as a Buckeye, holding the program's all-time leading scorer title for more than a decade and currently sits third. Her career point total led the Big Ten until 2004. Smith became the youngest collegiate player to score 1,000 career points at the age of 19 years and eight months (during her sophomore season). In the classroom, Smith was a four-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and the recipient of various scholarships, including a distinguished NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

Sheldon returns to Ohio State after spending her rookie season as a professional with the Dallas Wings. She was the fifth pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and played in 40 games, earning a starting spot midway through the season. Sheldon recorded six double-figure scoring performances in her rookie season, scoring a season-high 17 points against Atlanta on July 5 on the back of 5-of-8 long-range shooting.

“I’m so excited to have the opportunity to contribute to a program that did so much for me as a player and a person,” Sheldon said. “As someone who has so much love and respect for this university and this program, I’m grateful to be around this program beyond my playing years.”

Sheldon wrapped up her collegiate career as one of the most well-rounded players in school history as she’s one of three who totaled 1,900 points, 400 rebounds, 350 assists, 200 steals and 150 made triples in their Buckeye career. She finished in the top-15 in program history in 10 different career categories, including sixth in scoring with 2,024 career points. Sheldon helped Ohio State to its first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years in 2023 (first Elite Eight since 1993 when Smith was a Buckeye) and the Buckeyes claimed their first outright Big Ten regular season title since 2009-10 last season. 

In 2024, Sheldon earned her spot on the AP All-American Second Team, USBWA All-American Third Team and The Sporting News All-American Second Team and was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award. The two-time regional finalist for the WBCA Coaches’ All-America Team was on watch lists for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Award and Wade Award. Sheldon was a three-time All-Big Ten Selection, was twice named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team and was a four-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection.

The band paid tribute to Frank Sinatra with formations of the singer’s iconic fedora and symbols of New York City.

 TBDBITL also played “Strangers in the Night” and “Luck Be a Lady.” The show featured a performance of “My Way” and “New York, New York” with the university Men’s Glee Club as the singers celebrate 150 years on campus.

 Saturday’s i-dotter was Nick Pisanelli, a biochemistry and music education student from Newbury, Ohio.

TBDBITL played “Overture Carnival,” “Danzon No. 2,” “Infernal Dance from The Firebird,” “Nimrod from Enigma Variations” and “Finale from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5” while creating formations that come from illustrations in the book, including a person in a hot air balloon and a firebird.

Saturday’s i-dotter was Sam George, a music education and jazz studies major from Worthington, Ohio.

During pregame, the band spelled out “Thank You” while playing “Beautiful Ohio Fanfare” for longtime arranger and Ohio State alum Jim Swearingen, who wrote this weekend’s halftime show. Swearingen is an acclaimed composer and educator who has been arranging for the marching band for nearly 50 years.

TBDBITL also played “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Gonna Fly Now,” “Main Theme from Apollo 13,” “Starman,” “To Tame the Perilous Skies” and “I Wanna Go Back” while creating formations of telescopes, spaceships, astronauts and the NASA logo.

Saturday’s i-dotter was Andrew Boden, an industrial and systems engineering major from St. Louis, Missouri.

TBDBITL performed the film’s “Feather Theme,” as well as famous tunes from the soundtrack like “Running on Empty,” “Fortunate Son” and “Go Your Own Way.” Formations included Forrest sitting on the bench, a ping pong match, and Forrest and Jenny – who, as fans know, go together like peas and carrots.

Joining the band at halftime for the 55th year was The Ohio State University Alumni Band. Both bands contributed to a quadruple Script Ohio on the field in Ohio Stadium. TBDBITL marched in the south endzone while the alumni took the north, east and west.

The four i-dotters were, respectively, Sam George, a music education and jazz studies graduate; Joseph Koehne, TBDBITL 1991-1993; Richard “Brian” Allender, TBDBITL 1987-1991; and Pastor James H. Meacham, TBDBITL 1962-1965.

The halftime show was made more special with the appearance of Archie Griffin, Ohio State legend and two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Griffin dotted the i, joining a short list of people who have done so without being TBDBITL members – including Bob Hope and Annie and John Glenn.

The band performed “Beijo,” “Let’s Groove,” “Got to Get Your Into My Life,” “Shining Star,” “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” while creating formations that included Earth, Wind & Fire’s logo and dancers.

During the band’s pregame performance, TBDBITL member Brody Hyre, a music education graduate, dotted the i.

Cannon Drive no longer a throughway

One of the most important things to know on football Saturdays is that Cannon Drive will not be a public throughway on game days as the Cannon Drive Relocation – Phase 2 construction project around it continues. Cannon Drive is limited on game days to only those fans with West Stadium parking passes and to the varied service vehicles and security details servicing and staffing the game.

Those with West Stadium parking passes may access the lot from the north and south this year. Guests will be able to go north on Cannon Drive from John Herrick Drive past Lincoln and Morrill towers. Guests may also access the lot from the north at the new West Stadium lot entrance intersection and Woody Hayes Drive.

Fan-friendly upgrades & improvements for 2024

• The Department of Athletics is reintroducing its “Be the Best Fans in the Land” sportsmanship initiative. Messaging around respect, graciousness, community, tradition and champions will be pervasive this season at all athletics venues as we welcome four new teams into the Big Ten Conference. 
• Fans seeking real-time traffic and parking updates, weather information and emergency notifications can get this info texted to them by opting in to Buckeye Alerts by texting OSUFB to 67283.
• The new WaitTime function on the Ohio State Buckeyes app features green, yellow and red indicators that reflect wait times at restrooms and concession stands throughout the stadium.
• The C-Deck concourse has 20 new 55-inch television monitors (A-Deck had 25 new monitors installed last year).
• Most A-Deck bathrooms were renovated with new flooring, lighting, paint and some fixture replacements.
• There are new video boards over all 32 A-Deck portal entrances that will enliven the video effects after big plays and Buckeye wins.
• The Huntington Club features nine new 109-inch television monitor displays and 25 new 65-inch displays, so fans won’t miss a play when out of their seat.
• Open-air grilled “Weber” burgers and ribeye steak sandwiches will be featured food in Sections 25A and 26A with the department’s new partnership with Weber Grills.
• New foods also include hot honey footlong dogs (toppings include pimento cheese, crumbled bacon, caramelized onions, hot honey and charred peppers), Impossible Dogs (regular and vegan hot dogs, along with gluten-free buns) and Crumbl Cookies. 
• Spirits – Buckeye Vodka, Evan Williams, High Noon, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Patron – will be available for the first time throughout Ohio Stadium in sections 25A, 16A, 26A, 18C and 17C, and additionally in the NetJets Landing and Huntington Club areas. High Noon will also be available throughout the concourse and club areas.
• The Coors Light “just walk out and chill zone” is located at Gate 18A and is a place to relax with TVs, photo opportunities and refreshments.
• Fans can enjoy a Mexican food cart, TVs, photo opportunities and refreshments at Corona Buckeye Beach, located at Gate17A.
• Local craft beers will be featured in sections 7A, 18A, 14B, 9C and 20C.
• A new partnership with Aunt Flow will supply every women’s restroom with complimentary menstrual products.
• VIP Ohio Stadium tours can be scheduled throughout the week (non-game days). Fans interested in seeing the home locker room, band center, press box, stadium clubs and playing field can purchase timed tickets in advance at OhioStadiumTours.com.
• Doors to the Skull Session at St. John Arena will open three hours prior to kickoff this year instead of four hours prior to kickoff. 
• The bike corral will be located on the north side of Woody Hayes Drive near the bridge.

Game day timeline

The standard game day timeline for home games at Ohio Stadium this year:

• 5 a.m. – Parking lots open
• Three (3) hours prior to kickoff – Skull Session doors open at St. John Arena
• Three (3) hours prior to kickoff – FanFest opens on the St. John Arena south lawn
• Three (3) hours prior to kickoff – Ticket Office opens near Gate 5 on the northwest corner of Ohio Stadium
• Two (2) hours prior to kickoff – Ohio Stadium gates open and Skull Session begins
• 20 minutes prior to kickoff – TBDBITL’s ramp entrance

Game day parking & traffic

Day of game parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis on football Saturdays. All football parking lots and garages open at 5 a.m. All parking sales are cashless: Credit and debit cards, along with smartphone payments, will be accepted. The prices to park this year are $25 and $30.

Day of game parking and season parking pass maps and turn-by-turn directions to the various parking areas around Ohio Stadium and campus can be found at this link: Ohio Stadium Traffic and Parking.

Fans who do not have parking permits are encouraged to park in the following areas: Buckeye Lots, West Campus or High Street garages. All guests should anticipate a wait time of 60-90 minutes post-game to clear parking lots & garages.

Ohio State Buckeyes app (it’s scarlet)

Make sure to have the latest Ohio State Buckeyes app downloaded to your mobile device. It is the scarlet app and is compatible with both iOS 14 and above and Android 10 and above devices. The app includes options for fans to participate in unique game day experiences and to easily order concessions from their phones. The app includes options for fans to:

• Enable “push” notifications. Push notifications are instant updates about game day parking and traffic as well as news about Buckeye teams, ticket offers, game day information, exclusive contests and more.
• Sign up for Buckeye Experiences. Ohio Stadium game day experiences include watching warm-ups with a pregame field pass, taking photos on the field and birthday wishes and messages on the videoboard.

For more app info: Digital Ticketing (ohiostatebuckeyes.com).

Visit the game day website

Fans are encouraged to visit ohiostatebuckeyes.com/gameday/  for all game day information needs. The site includes info on mobile tickets and mobile parking passes, traffic and parking, maps, tailgating and an A-Z guide.

Metal detectors

All Ohio Stadium entry gates are equipped with walk-through metal detectors that guests pass through for entry. Fans will not need to empty their pockets unless instructed by stadium security.

No bag policy

Ohio State has a no bag policy at Ohio Stadium and at all athletics department venues. Small bags, no larger than 5 inches by 8 inches by 1 inch, will be permitted. Guests with medical or child care needs will be permitted to carry one bag, no larger than 14 inches by 14 inches by 4 inches, into the stadium through one of these two locations: the band center entrance between Gates 10 and 12, or the press entrance between the Huntington Club and Gate 23.

Load tickets and passes to Apple or Google wallet

All game tickets and parking passes are issued digitally to fans’ smartphones/mobile devices. One of the most important steps for fans to do before arriving at the stadium is to load their mobile ticket and parking pass to their Apple or Google wallet. This step speeds up the entry process and guarantees tickets will be available to scan as Wi-Fi/cell connectivity is not needed to access tickets from a mobile wallet.     

Visit Ohio State’s Digital Ticketing Guide for complete information on how to access and manage digital tickets.

Cashless operations

Cashless operations are utilized throughout Ohio Stadium, including for program sales, concessions, ticket office transactions, merchandise and parking.

West Campus shuttle

A complimentary guest shuttle will transport fans from the Mount Hall loop located on West Campus  (near Lane Avenue and Carmack Road) to Coffey Road Park on the western side of the Olentangy River near the edge of the Woody Hayes Bridge. Guests can walk across the bridge toward Ohio Stadium. This shuttle will operate from six hours prior to kickoff until one hour after the game ends.

Traffic pattern adjustments

When planning your arrival to Ohio Stadium, please reference the Traffic & Parking info page to view pattern routes and navigation links. Traffic patterns may be adjusted based on current traffic conditions. Signage and traffic officers are positioned to assist your navigation to and from Ohio Stadium. 

Single game tickets available

Select game single game football tickets remain available for purchase at go.osu.edu/fbtix. Where available, single game ticket prices will start as low as $50 and will vary across price zones and opponents. 

Verified resale tickets

Single game tickets for some games will sell out. However, verified resale tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and via the Ohio State Buckeyes app or Ticketmaster app. The Department of Athletics encourages fans to protect themselves from potential fraud by utilizing these sites for purchasing resale tickets over any other resale ticket options.

Fans should be aware that tickets purchased from other resale marketplaces are not guaranteed as valid for entry into the venue. Fans purchasing tickets from unauthorized sources assume the risk that tickets purchased are counterfeit or the barcodes have been invalidated.

Revelxp: Full-service tailgating

Revelxp is the official tailgate partner of Ohio State Athletics. The company offers turn-key tailgate packages at the Schottenstein Center for groups of all sizes. Visit Revelxp.com/ohio-state or call (614) 957-0822 for more information.

2024 game themes

• Aug. 31 vs. Akron – Archie Griffin Heisman Trophy 50th Anniversary Celebration and Faculty & Staff Appreciation
  • More info on 50th Anniversary Celebration: go.osu.edu/Archie50
  • Game Sponsor: Encova
• Sept. 7 vs. Western Michigan - Alumni Band Day
  • Game Sponsor: Buckeyes Care
• Sept. 21 vs. Marshall – Scarlet & Gray Game
• Oct. 5 vs. Iowa – Hall of Fame
  • Team will wear alternate gray uniforms
  • Game Sponsor: Safelite
• Oct. 26 vs. Nebraska – Homecoming & Scarlet the Shoe
  • Game Sponsor: Coca-Cola
• Nov. 9 vs. Purdue – Military Appreciation
  • Game Sponsor: Union Home Mortgage
• Nov. 23 vs. Indiana – First Responders Appreciation (new in 2024)
  • Game Sponsor: Huntington
• Nov. 30 vs. Michigan – Senior Day
  • Game Sponsor: OSUWMC/The James: Buckeyes for a Cancer Free World

“There are people who are still alive, who are still speaking, who didn’t have the right to vote,” he said. “That was the most meaningful thing. These people are still alive. These people, who are younger than my grandparents, had to go through this. History really isn’t as far away as we think it is.”

Brown, a rising third-year finance major at The Ohio State University, and more than 125 of his peers from other Big Ten schools spent several days in Alabama over the summer, touring famous sites in Selma and Montgomery, including the First Baptist Church of Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

This is the third year that the Big Ten Conference has hosted the trip to the heart of the civil rights movement as part of its Big Life Series. Brown, a men’s lacrosse player, was excited to learn in community with other student-athletes.

“People wanting to go on this trip are applying themselves,” he said. “Student-athletes aren’t going because they’re getting dragged. The people at these events are the top of the top athletes in the Big Ten, which is one of the best conferences in the country for almost every sport. And, on top of that, to take a weekend off from your workouts to learn about history? Those people are incredible to be around.”

Brown recommends the experience “100%” and was thrilled to travel with his fellow Buckeyes. He was joined by Nyah Funderburke, women’s swimming; Lillian Warren, rifle; Chase Davenport-Milles, men’s gymnastics; and Ayush Shah, fencing.

“It’s obviously awesome to represent Ohio State,” he said. “We’re such a big school and we’re very active when it comes to doing things in the community. It’s always cool, wearing the Block O to events.”

Brown said that the site that impacted him the most was the Legacy Museum in Montgomery.

“One of the most powerful things was reading historic legislation and acts in state constitutions,” he said. “They didn’t allow for biracial marriage or relationships. My mom is white and my dad is Black. That hit home for me, knowing that people like me weren’t accepted and were against the law in a lot of states. It’s crazy to think that I wouldn’t be sitting here today if things hadn’t changed.”

A lot of the subject matter weighed heavily on trip participants, who were encouraged to share their feelings. Some spoke with friends while others, like Brown, kept detailed journals about the trip.

“I didn’t want to forget anything because it’s a lot to take in,” he said.

Brown met other student-athletes who, like him, are Black and playing a predominantly white sport.

“It’s interesting to hear their perspectives because they’re going through the same thing,” he said. "Talking with someone from the University of Nebraska who plays softball about being one of two Black girls on the team – she’s going to have a similar experience to mine.”

Brown is president of RAS, or Redefining Athletic Standards, a club for Black male student-athletes at Ohio State. RAS focuses on community engagement and personal and professional development.

Brown’s experiences in Selma dovetail with one of RAS’s goals for the fall semester: voter education and registration.

“I want to help people who don’t know where to start, who don’t know where to register,” he said. “Getting them the right materials, keeping them educated on their voting rights and all the things that come with them.”  

What Brown wants young people to understand is that while it may feel like elections don’t have much impact on a college student’s life, the opposite is true.

“I want to encourage people our age to get out and be involved. We’re the next generation,” he said. “These people are making decisions about your life. Local level, state level, national level, all these things are going to affect your life, so utilize your right to vote.”

For the second consecutive Summer Olympics, Ohio State will have more than 20 student-athletes competing. The contingent of 25 Buckeyes is the second largest at a single Olympic Games following the school record of 26 who competed in 2021 in Tokyo. 

The Canadian Olympic Team has the most Ohio State representatives with eight, including current student-athletes Alex Axon and Tristan Jankovics of the men's swimming and diving program. Team USA is close behind, with seven Buckeyes.

Seven current Buckeyes will compete in Paris. Alex Axon and Tristan Jankovics will swim for Team Canada, while their Buckeye teammate Tomas Navikonis will be competing for Lithuania. Also representing Ohio State aquatic sports are Germany’s Lena Hentschel (diving) and Ruby Remati (artistic swimming) for the United States. Pistol student-athlete Ada Korkhin will also compete for Team USA, and Leah Bertrand is set to compete for Trinidad and Tobago in track & field.

This year’s games mark the second for Henry Leverett and Hunter Armstrong (swimming) and third for Aina Cid (rowing), Eleanor Harvey (fencing), Nichelle Prince (soccer), Elodie Ravera-Scarramozzino (rowing) and Kyle Snyder (wrestling).

2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris. During the 17-day window, 10,500 of the world’s best athletes will compete across 32 sports. The 2024 Paralympic Games will be held Aug. 28-Sept. 28 in Paris, with 4,400 world-class athletes competing across 23 sports. 

This year’s Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.  For more information on events, see the Olympic schedule.

Ohio State Buckeyes at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Paralympics

Current student-athlete unless noted; *Former student-athlete; #Incoming first-year student; **Former student

United States

• Katelyn Abeln* – Pistol
• Hunter Armstrong* – Swimming
• Blake Haxton** – Paralympics, Paracanoe 
• Keana Hunter# – Artistic Swimming
• Ada Korkhin – Pistol
• Henry Leverett* – Pistol
• Ruby Remati – Artistic Swimming
• Kyle Snyder* – Wrestling

 Canada

• Fares Arfa* – Fencing
• Duan Asemota* – Track & Field
• Alex Axon – Swimming
• Emma Finlin# – Swimming
• Scarlett Finn# – Artistic Swimming
• Eleanor Harvey* – Fencing
• Tristan Jankovics – Swimming
• Nichelle Prince* – Soccer

France

• Maximilien Chastanet* – Fencing
• Elodie Ravera-Scarramozzino* – Rowing

Germany

• Lena Hentschel – Diving

Ireland

• Ciara McGing* – Diving

Lithuania

• Tomas Navikonis – Swimming

Nigeria

• Sade Olatoye* – Track & Field

Puerto Rico

• Kristen Romano* – Swimming

Spain

• Aina Cid* – Rowing

Trinidad and Tobago

• Leah Bertrand – Track & Field

Starting as a walk-on player in 2020, Morbitzer earned a scholarship spot in time for her junior season, a rarity in her sport.

“Not everyone is getting money to play volleyball,” she said. “That didn’t go into my decision of being a Buckeye, because this is my dream. I wasn’t expecting any money. To be a walk-on and to end up getting a scholarship is huge.”

Even more remarkable is that Morbitzer received her scholarship after undergoing heart surgery.  She was diagnosed with a chronic heart condition two days after she was born and had her first surgery at four months. Her doctors told her family that she would need another procedure in the future.

“My doctor told me, ‘You’re going to know [when it’s time for the surgery],” she said.

And she did. After struggling during practice in the fall of 2020, Morbitzer elected to participate in a clinical trial. Instead of open-heart surgery and a six-month recovery time, the procedure would involve a minimally invasive heart catheter and, she hoped, get her back to playing in two weeks.

The night before her procedure, Morbitzer was surprised to receive a video with messages of support from her teammates.

“I was a freshman, so I hadn’t built a ton of relationships yet. I wasn’t expecting that,” she said. “That video was special. It made me feel so connected to the team, it made me feel so valued. It was cool that they did that for me.”

Morbitzer’s procedure was a success, and she started for the Buckeyes a month later, something she said she couldn’t have done without her coach’s encouragement.   

Jen Flynn Oldenburg became the team’s coach Morbitzer’s freshman year. While Oldenburg wasn’t the coach she’d met as a possible walk-on, Morbitzer and her teammates still bonded quickly with their new leader.

“Being a walk-on, that was scary for me,” she said of the team’s change in leadership. “Jen is amazing and so understanding of everything I’ve gone through. She’s been a big support system for me. Not everyone can say that about their head coach. I’m grateful that the relationship we’ve built over the last four years has become that.”

As her undergraduate career draws to a close, Morbitzer already has her eyes on the horizon. An exercise science major, she plans to apply to medical school.

Morbitzer is taking a gap year and is spending the summer working in a research lab at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. As she said, “My full-time job for the last four years was volleyball. I need more experiences.”

Although medical school is challenging, Morbitzer is looking forward to it. After all, this isn’t the first challenge she’s faced.

“My whole life, I’ve had to be resilient and learn as I go,” she said. “My childhood and the last four years have set me up to be successful in medical school, no matter how hard it is.”

Morbitzer’s physician, Curt Daniels, practices at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she had her 2020 procedure. Seeing a doctor who was available at multiple institutions helped Morbitzer understand that good medical care is seamless.

“I saw him at Ohio State first,” she said. “He knew Dr. [Aimee] Armstrong at Children’s, who ended up doing my procedure. He knew all the studies she was doing because he also worked at Children’s. If he hadn’t been there, who knows what my path would’ve been.”

It was Daniels who pointed out that volleyball was the perfect sport for Morbitzer. The short bursts of activity and the regular rest intervals meant her heart had time to recover between plays.

Blessed with so many people in her corner, Morbitzer is excited to serve the same role for others after medical school.

“Although I haven’t been to medical school and become a cardiologist yet, I think it’s going to be huge for me to show kids and parents that although a surgery is very scary, it’s doable,” she said. “It’s possible to still go live your dreams.”

Abeln is a student at The Ohio State University, pursuing her master’s degree in public health and epidemiology. She was a vital part of Ohio State’s pistol team, which won national championships in the last three consecutive years.

Her next shot at gold will come in the Olympics, as Abeln has already qualified for the 10-meter air pistol event.

For the Olympics, shooters fire 60 shots at the target in an hour and 15 minutes. The top eight move on to the next round. Although 60 shots seem like a lot, Abeln says she usually does double that amount in practice.

“It’s not that bad,” Abeln said of the 60 shots. “Like most athletes, we’re going to train more so the matches feel pretty easy.”

Originally from Georgia, Abeln hadn’t considered attending Ohio State until her current coach, Emil Milev, got a job at the university.

“He came into the university two years before I did,” Abeln said. “When I heard he was the head coach, I immediately knew this was where I wanted to be.”

Abeln is no stranger to success. She spent her 13th birthday in Colorado shooting at a qualifying match for the National Junior Olympic Rifle and Pistol Championships, and tried out for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 as a first-year student, but ended up being the first alternate.

“I was devastated,” Abeln said, “but I had a really good support system. My family, my coaches, my teammates all had my back and pushed me to go for Paris. Paris has been on my mind since I didn’t make the Tokyo team.”

One of the qualifying events for the 2024 Olympics happened to be during college finals, which put Abeln in a difficult spot.

“It was a challenge, for sure. A lot of late nights, lots of meetings with professors. Luckily, all the Ohio State professors were really accommodating and worked with me a lot,” Abeln said.

It was a surreal moment when she learned she would be going to the Olympics.

“It took a while for it to sink in,” Abeln said. “It’s super exciting, and it feels great for all my hard work to have paid off. I feel so grateful for everybody who has been with me through it all, and I have such a great support system. They say it takes a village, and my village is pretty great.”

Abeln has traveled the world competing, but this will be her first time in France. And while it won’t be a typical visit, she’s still looking forward to experiencing a new place, especially one that is celebrating a global event like the Olympics.

“Just seeing everyone who lives [in Paris] excited about something collectively is going to be really cool,” she said. “Seeing everyone band together to support one big event, even though they don’t know most of the people there – the Olympics bring so many people together.”

Abeln also gets to bring along two important people: her mother, Joy, and her first coach, her father.

“That’s honestly one of the things I’m most excited about is getting to experience the Olympics with them. To know that they’re there and they get to see me at the highest stage and everything they sacrificed for me to get there is special,” Abeln said.

A former student-athlete, Bjork’s career in athletics administration has consistently focused on competitive success, advances in the student-athlete experience and academic excellence.

“Few athletics directors have established such an impressive and strong record of success in athletics, in the classroom and throughout the community,” Carter said. “The bar is incredibly high at Ohio State, and we have found in Ross a highly intelligent and effective leader – not to mention a fierce competitor.”

Bjork currently serves as director of athletics at Texas A&M University, overseeing more than 600 student-athletes competing at the Division I level in 20 varsity sports.

During his tenure, the school has set new records in overall grade point average, NCAA Graduate Success Rate and NCAA Academic Progress Rate. At the same time, Bjork played a leading role in launching the largest fundraising campaign in Texas A&M athletics’ history outside of the redevelopment of Kyle Field. It features the construction of an academic and wellness center, football indoor performance center and indoor track stadium, as well as a redevelopment of the Bright Football Complex.

At Texas A&M and throughout his career, Bjork is also recognized for hiring successful coaches. All three of his 2021 head coach hires had outstanding first seasons, with baseball advancing to the final four of the Men’s College World Series, women’s golf advancing to the semi-final match at the NCAA Championships and men’s golf qualifying for the national meet for the first time since 2019.

In the spring of 2021, Bjork provided input and guidance to leaders in the Texas legislature in the development of a name, image and likeness law. He then oversaw the creation of AMPLIFY and AMPLIFY Local Exchange, which equips student-athletes with education and resources related to finance, personal branding, networking and media training.

“The college athletics landscape is changing each day, and Ohio State was firmly committed to finding an athletics director who would lead us with confidence and innovative thinking into the future,” said Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. “Ross Bjork possesses all the qualities we had envisioned – and more – and I am thrilled to welcome him to our Buckeye family.”

Before arriving at Texas A&M, Bjork served as director of athletics and vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Mississippi. When hired, he was the youngest athletics director among the Power 5 conferences. He reorganized the external relations structure, including a new partnership with IMG Properties; created the unit for Health and Sports Performance, combining sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition and counseling services; and appointed executive-level administrators for academic support, finance and facilities/game operations. Also, during Bjork’s tenure, Mississippi achieved its highest Learfield Directors Cup finish in the history of the institution.

Prior to that, Bjork was the director of intercollegiate athletics at Western Kentucky University, where the institution’s athletics teams and student-athletes saw immediate success in football, men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, cross country and more. Also, under Bjork’s watch at Western Kentucky, the overall cumulative average GPA was over 3.0 for all 391 student-athletes for the first time in program history.

Additionally, he has worked on the senior athletics staffs at the University of California, Los Angeles (2005-2010), University of Miami (2003-2005) and University of Missouri (1997-2003). He began his administrative career at Western Kentucky as an assistant development coordinator in 1996.

“I have been extraordinarily blessed to be a product of college athletics as a student athlete and fortunate to work with so many outstanding student-athletes, coaches, staff and university leaders throughout my career, and Ohio State represents the culmination of these efforts,” Bjork said. “To be a part of Buckeye Nation, along with its storied traditions and long history of achievement, is a tremendous honor and a welcome challenge for me and our family. I can’t wait to get started.”

Bjork will succeed longtime Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director Gene Smith, who announced in the summer that he would retire in July 2024. A national search for Ohio State’s next athletics leader began soon after, including a university search advisory committee of faculty, staff, students and Buckeyes in the greater community.

“Ross is uniquely equipped to step into our Buckeye community and make an immediate impact,” Smith said. “As I have said, Ohio State has afforded me the professional opportunity of a lifetime, and I am forever grateful. My final, important project over the next several months will be to work with Ross to ensure a smooth and effective transition with our student-athletes, coaches, department staff and university leaders.”

As senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, Bjork will be a member of the university’s President’s Cabinet. Additionally, he currently serves as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 1st vice president and is on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee. He has served as part of numerous national organizations, including the NCAA Division I Working Group on Transfers and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, and as chair of the Southeastern Conference Awards Committee.

Bjork and his wife, Sonya, have two sons. He received his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from Emporia State University in Kansas, where he played fullback on the football team, and earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Western Illinois University. His mother is a native of Williamstown, Ohio, where she grew up on the family’s farm. She remains an ardent supporter of TBDBITL.

“I couldn’t live without it,” he said. “I called my mom and was like, ‘I don’t have the structure [of a team]. I have to come home. I can’t do this.’”

Gerenstein’s mom helped him regain his focus. He stayed in shape and would practice throwing on the Lincoln Tower Field, all the while hoping to find a way back to his favorite sport. It was there that he met the kicker for the university’s club football team.

“He threw me an invite to the club,” Gerenstein said. “That was a Thursday. Monday, I went to my first practice.”

While Gerenstein waited for a varsity tryout date, football became his focus. Eventually his grades began to slip. Over the next two years, he would come to understand that while engineering was one of the things that brought him to Ohio State, it was sports that would keep him there. The club helped him build a routine and find his balance.

“I’ve come to realize that I can’t live without some sort of structure,” he said. “In high school, I was in school and then I went to practice, so most of your day is structured. Then you get to college and it’s not even close to that. The club practices were shorter than high school but for me, it was some semblance of normalcy. It saved me.”

He graduated in May of this year with a bachelor’s degree in sport industry and is now an assistant director of recruiting for Boston College’s football team. Gerenstein says his time with the club football team allowed him to play without feeling the pressure that varsity athletes often face.

“I have a friend who just graduated – he was a five-year player and had some injuries. He doesn’t want to play anymore,” he said. “Those guys get burnt out playing at that level. … I’ve never had a day where I woke up and thought, ‘Here we go with this again.’ It was just excitement: ‘We got football tonight!’”

The club football team was founded in 2009 and is a member of the National Club Football Association. It has won two national championships, in 2019 and 2021. Gerenstein was the team’s quarterback for both.

In addition to playing on the club team, Gerenstein also served as a recruiting intern for the varsity program. He worked with Mark Pantoni, whom he calls “the godfather of college football personnel.” Earlier this year, Gerenstein participated in the National Football League’s Pro Day at Ohio State, an opportunity that he says would not have happened without the connections he made through both programs.

“[The internship] ended up working out well,” he said. “I am where I am now. Club football was the springboard to why I’m here in Boston.”

In addition to allowing him to enjoy the game, club football also gave Gerenstein a leg up professionally since the club recruits its players.

“You have to make yourself desirable [to recruits],” he said. “You have to find the right audience.”

Gerenstein thinks more schools would benefit from their own club teams. There are students out there who want to continue to play football but can’t do so at the varsity level, he said. A club team lets them continue to have the structure and rigor many student-athletes crave. 

“I do everything I can to spread the word about club football,” he said. And while he is a Boston College Eagle now, Ohio State’s club team set a high bar.

“It shocks me how dedicated the team and the staff are, versus the rest of the league,” he said. “How we prepare for every game, we’re just so fine-tuned as a program. As far as X’s and O’s, personnel, depth, schematics, travel, we just don’t miss on any of it.”

But that wasn’t the only historic moment she witnessed. Jamaica’s last game in the group stage was against Brazil. The teams tied 0-0, which sent Brazil home. World-renowned Brazilian player Marta Vieira da Silva had announced this was her last World Cup prior to the tournament’s beginning. Being a part of her story was surreal, McNamara said.

“I grew up watching Marta,” she said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m not in front of a screen now. I’m in person.’ And getting to see [how they play]. It was bittersweet because we won’t get to see Marta play again but also, we were the team to send her home.”

Brazil wasn’t the only competitive team the Jamaicans played. Their first match was against France, ending in another 0-0 tie.

“France is always a top-five team,” she said. “That was a surreal game because that was the start of our World Cup. That set the tone for the rest of the tournament. That game was great.”

While McNamara, a fourth-year international business major, was born in the United States, her mother is Jamaican. FIFA allows players to play for a country other than their home nation if they can demonstrate a clear connection to it, such as a parent or grandparent. McNamara was proud to represent her family.

“It was awesome. I didn’t grow up there … so getting to go back and live through her heritage and see where she grew up, that was meaningful,” she said. “I got to represent my grandparents as well. They weren’t here to see it, but I felt like they were looking down and were proud that I’m representing their country.”

McNamara’s team pride did not overshadow her Buckeye spirit, however. She wore a red or gray headband in each match as a nod to her home team. And that wasn’t all she had planned.

“I wish I had scored because I was ready to do my OH-IO celebration.”

Now that the tournament is over, McNamara is happy to be back in Ohio. With the Paris Olympics next summer, she may have the chance to play for Jamaica again – she was invited to join the team for qualifying matches this fall but declined. She was ready to wear scarlet and gray again.

“I owe it to my team to play when we’re in season,” she said. “I think it’s best to stay and help my teammates. I love being here so much.”

The help McNamara has brought back from the World Cup? Mentoring from older players. While she is a senior and one of the more seasoned players on Ohio State’s team, that was not the case with the Jamaican national team. At 21, she was one of the younger players.

“Their mentality is to put your head down and work hard. And enjoy every moment,” she said. “That’s what I’m trying to bring back to this team.”

There were so many moments to enjoy, she said. But the thing that sticks out the most is the number of fans supporting women’s sports.

“I was surprised by how many people were there to support us. It’s a growing sport and it’s a women’s sport, so how many people are going to show up? But stadiums were sold-out all over Australia and New Zealand,” she said. “It didn’t even matter if your country was playing in the game or not. People still found someone to root for.”

The experience is one most people won’t have, she said, so she took in as much as she could.

“You see a stadium filled with 27,000 people, screaming your country’s name and cheering for everything your team does,” she said. “That’s an insane feeling. It was overwhelming, the pride. Now I can say, ‘I did that.’”

Cannon Drive Project Continues

Cannon Drive is closed at John Herrick Drive. There will not be any northbound traffic on Cannon Drive from John Herrick Drive past Lincoln and Morrill towers to the West Stadium and South Fieldhouse parking lots. All arrivals to those two lots – fans, service workers, media, etc. – must arrive via Woody Hayes Drive at the north end of Ohio Stadium. More Cannon Drive impacts:

• Construction fencing is in place along the northwestern portion of the West Stadium parking lot, limiting the grassy area for tailgating.
• The bike corral is being relocated to the north side of Woody Hayes Drive near the bridge for the 2023 season.
• High Street to Woodruff Avenue, driving west toward the stadium, is a preferred means to get to permit lots on the east side of the stadium, including: East Stadium lot and the Tuttle and Northwest garages.
• Fans who do not have parking permits are encouraged to park in the following areas: Buckeye Lots, West Campus or High Street garages.
• Maps and turn-by-turn directions to the various parking areas when attending an Ohio State game this season can be found at this link: Ohio Stadium Traffic and Parking - Ohio State (ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

Load Tickets to Apple or Google Wallet

One of the most important and proactive steps for fans to do before arriving at the stadium is to load their mobile ticket to their Apple or Google wallet. This step assists and speeds up the entry process and it guarantees tickets will be available because WiFi/cell connectivity is not needed to access tickets from a mobile wallet.  

West Campus Shuttle

A complimentary guest shuttle will transport fans from the Mount Hall loop located on West Campus (near Lane Avenue and Carmack Road) to Coffey Road Park on the western side of the Olentangy River near the edge of the Woody Hayes Bridge. Guests can walk across the bridge toward Ohio Stadium. This shuttle will operate from six hours prior to kickoff until one hour after the game ends.

Game Day Parking & Traffic

Day-of-game parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis on football Saturdays. All football parking lots and garages open at 5 a.m. All parking will be cashless. Credit cards only will be accepted at all public parking locations. The prices to park this year are $25 and $30.

Individuals with football parking permits will access their passes via their Ohio State Buckeyes Account alongside their game tickets. Permits will be on fans’ mobile devices which will be scanned upon entry to the parking lot.

All guests should anticipate a wait time of 60-90 minutes post-game to clear parking lots & garages.

Traffic Pattern Adjustments

When planning your arrival to Ohio Stadium, please reference the Traffic & Parking info page to view pattern routes and navigation links. Traffic patterns may be adjusted based on current traffic conditions. Signage and traffic officers are positioned to assist you in navigating to and from Ohio Stadium. 

Visit the Game Day Website

Fans are encouraged to visit https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/gameday/ for all game day information needs. The site includes info on mobile tickets and mobile parking passes, traffic and parking, maps and tailgating, and an A-Z guide.

A New Ohio State Buckeyes App (It’s Scarlet!)

Make sure to have the new Ohio State Buckeyes app and have push notifications enabled. It is the scarlet app (the prior app was black) and it is compatible with both iOS 14 and above and Android 10 and above devices. The new app includes options for fans to participate in unique game day experiences and easily order concessions from their phones. For more app info: Digital Ticketing (ohiostatebuckeyes.com).

Single Game Tickets Available

Select game single game football tickets remain available for purchase at http://go.osu.edu/fbtix. Where available, single game ticket prices will start as low as $41 and will vary across price zones and opponents. 

Verified Resale Tickets

Single game tickets for some games will sell out. However, verified resale tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and via the Ohio State Buckeyes app or Ticketmaster app. The Department of Athletics firmly encourages fans to protect themselves from potential fraud by utilizing these sites for purchasing resale tickets over any other resale ticket options.

Fans should be aware that tickets purchased from other resale marketplaces are not guaranteed as valid for entry into the venue. Fans purchasing tickets from unauthorized sources assume the risk that tickets purchased are counterfeit or the barcodes have been invalidated.

Mobile Game Tickets

All game tickets are issued digitally to fans’ smartphones/mobile devices. Visit Ohio State’s Digital Ticketing Guide for complete information on how to access and manage digital tickets.

Ticket Window Updates

The Gate 5 ticket office at Ohio Stadium will open three hours prior to kickoff before each home game.

No North Rotunda Stadium Access

The North Rotunda entrance will no longer be a ticketed entrance for fans into Ohio Stadium. This iconic entrance will be reserved for pregame activities, including the football team walk and marching band entrance.

Narrowed RPAC/PAES Walkway

Fences are in place around portions of the walkway between the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) and Physical Activity and Education Services (PAES) as well as the walkway between RPAC and McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. Pedestrian traffic and ADA access will be maintained in these areas, however, walkways will be narrowed. 

Meet P.A. Announcer Tom Snyder

The new public address announcer at Ohio Stadium is Tom Snyder, a Columbus resident who was selected for the job from a pool of over 100 candidates and then after an audition in Ohio Stadium with six other finalists. Snyder works at Columbus DeSales High School. He replaces longtime announcer Bob Kennedy, who passed away earlier this year. Both gentlemen are from Public Address Announcer U., or “PAU,” Otterbein University.

Cashless Operations

Cashless operations will be utilized throughout Ohio Stadium, including for program sales, concessions, ticket office transactions, merchandise and parking. The cashless concessions system has been upgraded for even faster service and check-out time.

Sign Up for Game Day Alerts

Fans are encouraged to sign up for Game Day Alerts, a free texting service that provides real-time traffic and parking updates, weather information and emergency notifications. Text OSUFB to 67283 to opt in.

Enable “Push” Notifications

Fans are also encouraged to enable push notifications on their app to get instant updates about game day parking and traffic and news about their favorite Buckeye teams, ticket offers, game day information, exclusive contests, and more.

Buckeye Experiences

Ohio Stadium game day “experiences” are available. The official Ohio State Buckeyes app is the best way for fans to purchase stadium experiences, including watching warm-ups with a pregame field pass, taking photos on the field, and birthday wishes and messages on the video board.

17 New A Concourse TVs

The A deck concourse area is enhanced this year 17 additional 55-inch television sets so fans won’t miss a play when not in their seats.

Safelite Field

The Ohio Stadium field will feature two white Safelite placements opposite the B1G logos for the second consecutive year. Safelite, the nation’s leading vehicle glass services and recalibration company and located in Columbus, expanded its partnership with the athletics department last year with a new multi-year sponsorship agreement with LEARFIELD’s Ohio State Sports Properties. 

Chill Zone

The Coors Light “just walk out and chill zone” is located at Gate 18A and is a place to relax and chill with TVs, photo opportunities and refreshments.

Buckeye Beach

Another stadium locale to meet up with family and friends is the Corona Buckeye Beach, located at Gate 17A. Fans can enjoy a Mexican food cart, TVs, photo opportunities and refreshments.

NetJets Landing

The Ohio Stadium Loge Club and Northwest Suites have officially been renamed “NetJets Landing.” NetJets Inc., the leader in private aviation, is headquartered in Columbus and has been a long-time supporter of the Ohio State and central Ohio community.

Revelxp: Full-Service Tailgating

Revelxp is the official tailgate partner of Ohio State Athletics. The company offers turn-key tailgate packages at the Schottenstein Center for groups of all sizes. Visit Revelxp.com or call (614) 967-0822 for more information.

Olentangy River Trail Route Re-route

During home football game weekends, Friday to Sunday, the Olentangy Trail will be rerouted east around Ohio Stadium to Tuttle Park Place. As area event preparations occur and event-related traffic increases, the adjustment will be in place from the Friday morning before each home game through the Sunday morning after.

Metal Detectors

All Ohio Stadium entry gates will be equipped with walk-through metal detectors that guests will need to pass through for entry. Fans will not need to empty their pockets unless instructed by stadium security.

No Bag Policy

Ohio State has a no-bag policy at Ohio Stadium (and all athletic department venues). Small bags, no larger than 5x8x1 inches, will be permitted. Guests with medical or child care needs will be permitted to carry one bag, no larger than 14x14x4 inches, into the stadium through one of these two locations: the Band Center entrance between Gates 10 and 12, or the Press Entrance between the Huntington Club and Gate 23.

Game Day Timeline

The standard game day timeline for home games at Ohio Stadium this year:

• 5 a.m. – Parking lots open
• Four (4) hours prior to kickoff – Skull Session doors open at St. John Arena
• Three (3) hours prior to kickoff – FanFest opens on the St. John Arena south lawn
• Three (3) hours prior to kickoff – Ticket Office opens near Gate 5 on the NW corner of Ohio Stadium
• Two (2) hours prior to kickoff – Ohio Stadium gates open and Skull Session begins
• 20-minutes prior to kickoff – TBDBITL’s ramp entrance

2023 Game Themes

• Sept. 9 vs. Youngstown State (noon on BTN) – Buckeyes for a Cancer Free World, Alumni Band and Faculty & Staff Appreciation.
  Sponsor: The OSU Wexner Medical Center and The James Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Sept. 16 vs. Western Kentucky (4 p.m. on FOX) – Scarlet & Gray and Buckeyes Care. 
  Sponsor: Buckeyes Care
• Oct. 7 vs. Maryland (noon/3:30 p.m./4 p.m.; Network TBD) – Homecoming and Hall of Fame. 
  Sponsor: Safelite
• Oct. 21 vs. Penn State (Time and Network TBD) – Scarlet the ’Shoe. 
  Sponsor: Coca-Cola
• Nov. 11 vs. Michigan State (7:30 p.m. on NBC) – Military Appreciation. 
  Sponsor: Union Home Mortgage
• Nov. 18 vs. Minnesota (Time and Network TBD) – Senior Day. 
  Sponsor: Huntington

The 2024 Ohio State season will feature eight home games at Ohio Stadium, including the 120th all-time matchup against Michigan, and four more Big Ten home games: vs. Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern and Rutgers. Additional home games will be against Southern Mississippi, Western Michigan and Marshall.

Big Ten away games for Ohio State in 2024 will be at Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State and UCLA. The dates for the 2024 games will be announced later this fall.

Divisions Eliminated

The 2024 season will feature the elimination of divisions in the Big Ten Conference with all 16 teams, including the additions of UCLA and USC, playing a nine-game conference season highlighted by a model that has every team playing every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period. The Big Ten has used a two-division format since the 2011 season, the year Nebraska joined the league.

The Big Ten Conference championship game, beginning in 2024, will match the top two teams in the overall conference standings at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, with the winner the Big Ten champion. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced at a later date.

“When you run the gauntlet of the regular conference season and you end up being No. 1 and No. 2 in the standings, you’ve earned that right,” Gene Smith, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director, said on the Big Ten Network about the teams in the Big Ten title game.

“I’m excited having no divisions. I think divisions served us well in our history and our transition to this space, but now this opportunity to play a semi-round robin is actually a lot better.” 

The 2024 season will also be the first year of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff format that will reward the four highest-seeded conference champions with first-round byes, while the teams ranked Nos. 5-thru-8 will host first-round CFP games against the teams ranked Nos. 12-thru-9, respectively. 

Ohio State season ticket holders for the 2023 season will be able to start renewing season tickets for the 2024 season this fall. Those interested in becoming season ticket holders or learning more about other ticket packages for the 2023 season should visit https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.

USC and Texas at Ohio Stadium in 2025

The 2025 seven-game Ohio State home season will kick off with a national game of the week-caliber game against Texas in Ohio Stadium Aug. 30, and it will also feature the first visit to Ohio Stadium by the USC Trojans in 16 years, or since the 2009 season.

In addition to Texas and USC, Ohio State’s 2025 home schedule will include Big Ten games against Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska, and a non-conference game against UConn with one non-conference opponent still to be announced.

Away games for Ohio State in 2025 will be at Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.

New Flex Protect Plus Scheduling Model

The 2024 Big Ten football season will debut the Big Ten’s new Flex Protect Plus scheduling model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each member institution will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.

Conference schedules will include 11 protected matchups that will continue to be played annually, including the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.

2023 Ohio State Football Schedule

Sept. 2 – at Indiana (3:30 p.m.; CBS)

Sept. 9 – Youngstown State (12 noon; BTN)

Sept. 16 – Western Kentucky (4 p.m.; FOX)

Sept. 23 – at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m.; NBC & Peacock)

Sept. 30 – Off

Oct. 7 – Maryland/Homecoming (12 noon/3:30 p.m./4 p.m.; TBD)

*Oct. 14 – at Purdue

*Oct. 21 – Penn State

*Oct. 28 – at Wisconsin

*Nov. 4 – at Rutgers

Nov. 11 – Michigan State (7:30 p.m; NBC)

*Nov. 18 – Minnesota

Nov. 25 – at Michigan (12 Noon; FOX)

Dec. 2 – Big Ten Championship Game (8 p.m.; FOX)

*Game times announced during the in-season 12-/6-day selection process

2024 Ohio State Schedule Snapshot

Aug. 31 – Southern Mississippi

Sept. 7 – Western Michigan

Sept. 14 – Off

Sept. 21 – Marshall

Big Ten Home Games

Illinois

Iowa

Michigan

Northwestern

Rutgers

Big Ten Away Games

Michigan State

Minnesota

Penn State

UCLA

2024 schedule dates announced in the Fall of 2023

2025 Ohio State Schedule Snapshot

Aug. 30 – Texas

Oct. 18 – UConn

One non-conference game still to be added

Big Ten Home Games

Indiana

Maryland

Nebraska

USC

Big Ten Away Games

Illinois

Michigan

Northwestern

Purdue

Wisconsin

In the 19th year of APR data for most teams, the scores provide a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for academic eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance. The most recent APR scores are based on a multiyear rate that averages scores from the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years.

Ohio State posted a cross-sport multiyear rate of 993, the highest in school history. Of the 31 Buckeye sports programs, 26 have multiyear rates better than 990, with the football program’s rate of 993 an all-time high. The 2021-22 single-year rate was 988 for Ohio State. 

John Davidson, Ohio State Faculty Athletics Representative, noted the work Ohio State student-athletes, coaches and staff put in to achieve success.

“The APR is designed to measure whether student-athletes are maintaining eligibility and are being retained by the institution,” Davidson said. “This year’s APR release shows that Ohio State continues to perform very well and, in fact, keeps getting better. Achieving a multiyear score of 993 – the highest in our institution’s history – reflects a culture consistently aiming to improve all aspects of the student-athlete experience.” 

For 2021-22, 17 Ohio State programs had perfect scores: men’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s hockey, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis and men’s and women’s volleyball.

Seven sports recorded perfect multiyear scores: men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, rifle, men’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

“It starts with our coaches, who recruit with the whole student-athlete in mind,” Davidson said. “Our academic and athletic staff reinforces our commitment to classroom success every day. Most of all, our talented Buckeyes work very hard to excel in all their endeavors at Ohio State.” 

This academic year, 244 Buckeyes have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, with spring and at-large sports honors to be awarded later this spring, and 765 were recognized as Ohio State Scholar-Athletes. At autumn commencement, 49 current and former student-athletes received their degrees and nearly 200 are slated to graduate Sunday at spring commencement.

The event, organized by the Wellness Advocacy student organization, was attended by Ohio State students, faculty and staff as well as Buckeye Paws therapy dogs. Throughout the discussion, Day emphasized the importance of resilience.

“Adversity is coming down the road, so we have to build this resilience up,” he said. “You’re going to be ready for it the more you prepare for it.”

Day likened mental health to physical health, saying that much like physical health, individuals can strengthen their mental health and build resilience over time.

In addition to the similarities between physical and mental health, Day discussed how physical wellness is a key contributor to mental wellness, citing tennis and spending time outdoors as tools he uses to improve and maintain his mood. He also enjoys spending time with loved ones and unplugging.

Day said that a support system is crucial for building resilience, and that having people in your life who will help you and provide honesty when needed is essential. He urged the audience to lean on those closest to them when dealing with adversity.

“Being willing to ask for help is a sign of strength,” he said.

Mental health is a deeply personal issue for Day, who lost his father to suicide when he was 9 years old.

“It’s a hard thing to understand, especially when you’re young,” he said. “As time has gone on, I’ve recognized and learned to share my story. It took a long time.”

Last year, Day and his wife Nina donated $1 million to the university to create the Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund, which supports research and mental health resources.

“Hopefully, in 10 to 20 years, we can find out what those risk factors are that lead to mental illness,” he said. “It’s humbling to be a part of something that’s so progressive.”

Day reminded the audience that handling difficult topics becomes easier the more you discuss them, which is why he is such a vocal advocate for reducing the stigma surrounding mental health challenges.

“The more you talk to others about it, you find that people share a lot of the same experiences,” he said. “You can find some comfort in that.”

Day acknowledged that men, especially athletes, tend to experience a unique stigma when dealing with mental health issues. Day refers to the holistic approach to the team’s wellness as the “circle of care,” which includes resources ranging from proper nutrition to cryogenic chambers to sports psychologists. He discussed the importance of creating an environment for his players to feel comfortable asking for help and receiving care.

“The game of football is a fight, but so is life. It’s a fight to become the best version of yourself every day.”

A key factor in the team’s success? The fans. The thousands that attend each game give the Buckeyes a boost every single time.

“They’re family,” said senior guard Hevynne Bristow.

This year, the players have made a concerted effort to reach more fans. Last year’s team made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, despite low expectations. Those players wanted to thank the fans who had rooted for them all year, said assistant coach Jalen Powell.

“We had a core group of players returning this year, so we wanted to focus on getting people to the games to see how well our team plays,” she said. “We also want the fans to see not only how good they are as players but how great they are as people.”

This led to a community outreach push. Local middle and high school teams were invited to games, clinics are offered with players, area teams are given the chance to play on the Schottenstein Center court during halftime and players sign autographs so they can meet fans one-on-one.

“It’s awesome, getting to know our fans,” Bristow said. “We meet new people, but we see a lot of the same faces now, too. It’s really special. I met twins at a clinic, and I still talk to them. We can talk about anything.”

“At a recent game, a little girl with Down syndrome came up to me during warm-up,” said senior guard Jacy Sheldon. “My sister has Down syndrome, too, so that was awesome. She talked to my sister a little bit, too, and we got to know her and her mom. That’s one of my favorite memories this year.”

“I remember one team, from my hometown,” said freshman forward and Centerville native Cotie McMahon. “I came out to sign autographs and I just hear them screaming my name. They made me feel so loved.”

In addition to meeting fans, players are excited to serve as role models for athletes, especially young women.

“If you see someone doing it, you know you can do it,” Powell said. “If you see someone achieving a goal, it becomes more of a reality for a young player. Why should they have self-doubt when they see someone else do it and be successful?”

“Having women athletes to look up to is huge,” Sheldon said. “It was huge for us, too. Having the opportunity to do that for other kids is cool and special. That’s something we think about a lot and take pride in.”

Returning the support given to them is just as important for the team. In addition to the clinics, the team performs service projects in Columbus in the off-season.

“I’m not from Columbus,” said Bristow. “Growing up in New York, the Knicks and the Liberty [basketball] programs did a lot of community stuff. That made me want to be like them more, so us reaching out to our community in Columbus might inspire others to do the same.”

Fan support can help buoy spirits, too – during wins and losses.

“I want them to know that we’re going to keep going out there, every night, playing as hard as we can and trying to get a win,” Sheldon said. “That’s for each other but it’s also for them. They’re part of our journey.”

“We have 14 players on the team. It’s like having 15,” Powell said. “They’re our 15th player.”

“Whenever we get the chance, we tell them ‘thank you,’” she added. “Every time they sign an autograph, they say ‘thank you for coming.’ If they take a picture or talk to a child, they say ‘thank you for coming,’ because it means that much. It makes a difference. It shows in the way we play. It shows in the way we carry ourselves. It shows when we show up every day. We’re not just playing to win, we’re playing for our fans.”

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at http://go.osu.edu/fbtix. General admission prices are $7, plus there will be a limited number of reserved seating options available at $15 and $30. Service charges may apply. Parking is free.

The spring game is presented by Union Home Mortgage.

“Finish on the 50”

In conjunction with the spring game weekend, fans will have an opportunity to “Finish on the 50” as the Ohio State 4 Miler, presented by the Ohio Beef Council, Raising Cane’s and Union Home Mortgage, returns to Ohio Stadium as a springtime event. The run/walk celebration of football and fitness will be held on Sunday, April 16.

Registrants for the 4 Miler will receive a ticket to the spring game in addition to a Nike race shirt and an official finisher’s medal. More information is available at www.ohiostatefourmiler.com/registration/april-2023/.  

First Look in 2023

The spring game exhibition will be the first opportunity for fans to see quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Devin Brown compete in 2023. The two are the front-runners to replace 25-game starter C.J. Stroud, who declared for the 2023 draft.

Stroud threw for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns in 2021 and 2022, was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and is the Big Ten record-holder in career passing efficiency at 182.39.

McCord, a 6-3, 222-pounder from Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, just completed his second full season with the Buckeyes. He has played in 12 games the past two years, including a start in 2021 vs. Akron when he threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns.

Brown, from Gilbert, Arizona, is a 6-3, 210-pound true freshman who played briefly in two games this season for the Buckeyes: vs. Toledo and Rutgers.

About LiFEsports

LiFEsports is nationally recognized as a premier model for sport-based positive youth development (PYD). LiFEsports strives to address the broader social conditions young people face, especially those exposed to various social vulnerabilities and most at-risk. Its focus on teaching has continued to impact the sport-based PYD field by developing tomorrow’s workforce, and its research demonstrates how sport can make a difference in the lives of young people today.

The music of the Hall of Fame rock band last filled the Horseshoe in 2015 with a stop on their ZIP Code tour, and The Ohio State University Marching Band was inspired by the British Invasion for a second home game this season. TBDBITL celebrated the music of Elton John last month.

To give the performance an electric groove, the marching band featured six of its members playing guitar, keyboard and drums on a stage located on the 50-yard line.

The band performed “Start Me Up,” “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll (But I Like It),” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Paint It Black.” Formations included the band’s logo, a guitar, two people singing and the word “Stones.”

Electrical and computer engineering major Ethan Kowalski dotted the “i.”   

The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation has been selected as the 11th recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group within the realm of the sport of football.” 

The “official” announcement of Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation was made during the noon ET edition of SportsCenter on Friday followed by a teleconference at 1 p.m. with the foundation’s leaders,  Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., and his mother Monica Daniels. 

At the teleconference, Brant Ringler, executive director of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, and David Ubben, 2022 FWAA President, congratulated the Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation as the 2022 recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award.

The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation was selected from a list of 50 nominations (43 individuals and seven programs) as the 2022 recipient by a nine-person committee made up of FWAA members and Bowl officials.

“The foundation established by Paris and his mother is very unique where a student-athlete and his family are actively involved with helping military veterans,” said Ringler.  “While playing a key role on one of the nation’s top collegiate football teams, what Paris is accomplishing through his foundation is remarkable.  We hope at least one player on every college football program in the United States can follow the exemplary example that Paris has set.”

“The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation provides much-needed assistance for the veterans.  What makes Paris special is that he has taken the time to help so many in his community while playing college football and studying at The Ohio State University,” Ubben said. “We applaud him and his mother for the work that they are doing with the foundation.”

The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation, established by the ESPN midseason All-America during his high school days in Cincinnati, has raised more than $10,000 to assist veterans, student-athletes and the homeless. 

The foundation is dedicated to empowering and serving disabled veterans and disadvantaged student-athletes with helpful resources that benefit them. 

“I’ve always been passionate about veterans,” Johnson said. “I have so much respect for veterans. It’s easy to say it, but words are just words. Our team tries to find a way to give back to those people who have arguably made the second greatest sacrifice on earth. Those people shouldn’t have to worry about the basic necessities when they come back home. They should be taken care of by the people that they protected.”

“Paris is a wonderful individual, one who cares about and takes care of those who are less fortunate,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “He does this through his foundation.  These efforts are indicative of the leader that he is … on the field and off.  He is a conscientious young man, an incredibly sincere and thoughtful individual, and someone I can’t wait to see succeed in life as an upstanding citizen.”

After their first break of the season following five consecutive shows, The Ohio State University Marching Band returned to the ’Shoe for an electric tribute to Elton John.

TBDBITL was joined by the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band to perform some of John’s greatest hits. Between the combined bands, there were more than 425 students on the field during the performance.

Together, the bands performed “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man” and “I’m Still Standing.” Their formations included a piano, beating hearts, two women dancing and John’s iconic sunglasses.

Information systems graduate AJ Frasure dotted the “i.”

The Ohio State University sent five student-athletes: Jaydan Wood (women’s track & field), Donovan Hewitt (men’s gymnastics), Brooke Shields (cheer), Nina LeFlore (women’s soccer) and Zed Key (men’s basketball).

Student-athletes heard from Sheyann Webb-Christburg, author and eyewitness to the Bloody Sunday attack in 1965, as well as Bryan Stevenson, a prominent author and social justice lawyer. They also toured the Civil Rights Memorial Center, the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum, which Stevenson founded.

In addition, the trip included a visit to the First Baptist Church in Selma and a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of Bloody Sunday.

Knowing the trip’s purpose, LeFlore expected an emotional weekend. She was still surprised by just how emotional she was. Although the speakers shared painful stories, she felt inspired by their messages of hope.

“They were really joyful,” she said. “Even when they spoke about their past, and they were emotional, they were joyful, almost hopeful. You can tell that their spirit wasn’t defeated.”

For Key, the most meaningful moment of the trip was the Pettus Bridge walk.  

“Walking across the bridge, just knowing what [the protesters] went through with them being beat on the bridge by the police, dogs, tear gas,” said Key. “It was such a surreal moment.”

LeFlore agreed.

“That was probably the most impactful,” she said. “Being there, living the history, reliving the history. It’s not really an experience you can put into words. It’s more of a feeling. I wish everyone had the opportunity to experience it.”

Key was proud to represent Ohio State and proud to represent basketball players – there were few on the trip. He feels that, as student-athletes, he and his peers have a unique opportunity to amplify the messages they received during the trip.

“As athletes, we have a platform,” he said. “We’re all on the same page about using our platform to create change because people look up to us and they listen to us. We can use our platform to push in the right direction to create equality.”

A short film will chronicle the trip and the participating student-athletes’ reactions.

“Every student-athlete will be able to see it and then we’re going to talk to the entire student-athlete staff,” she said. “We’re going to go in-depth about what we learned and how we can implement changes in the Ohio State athletics program.”

Both agreed that the trip was an honor and one in which they were proud to participate.

“This really opened my eyes,” Key said. “I learned stuff that I didn’t even know about. Listening to people, it really gave me goosebumps, some of what they were saying. I’m really glad the Big Ten invited me to go.”

For LeFlore, who has attended other Big Ten events, it was a chance to experience something different with her peers.

“I saw a more intimate side to some of the people I had met at the other events during this trip,” she said.

All five of the Ohio State student-athletes are Black, LeFlore mentioned. Bonding over their experiences as Black student-athletes made the trip that much more meaningful.

“I think it was cool coming into community like that,” she said. “I think that was really special.”

The sense of community, of shared history, has stuck with LeFlore.

“Anytime anybody shares a story, it’s impactful and empowering.”

President Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law on June 23, 1972:

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Women’s lives around the country and in every generation since were changed. For Johnson, this meant that while she was able to play only individual sports in high school, when she arrived at Stanford University, she was allowed to join the field hockey team and eventually go on to create a women’s lacrosse team with many of the same women.

“You all know what it’s like to be on a team, to be part of something bigger than yourself,” Johnson said to the assembled audience, which included many current female student-athletes. “That’s what I love about The Ohio State University. We’re all a part of something big, really big.”

Joining Johnson on the panel were her wife, Veronica Meinhard, who was an All-American swimmer at the University of Florida, current Ohio State women’s basketball player Jacy Sheldon, synchronized swimming coach Holly Vargo-Brown and retired deputy athletic director Miechelle Willis. The moderator of the discussion was Siobhan St. John, assistant cheer coach.

Meinhard, who grew up in Venezuela, shared that Title IX meant she could pursue her sport and her education, something she could not do in her home country.

“In my country, education is No. 1,” she said. “You quit your sport at 17 or 18. … The sheer opportunity to be able to pursue education and my sport, regardless of gender, was a huge issue for me.”

Sheldon, the youngest member of the panel, reflected on the history of gender equality in sports. When asked to describe Title IX in one word, she chose “movement.” She spoke about the United States’ 1996 women’s basketball team, the “Dream Team,” and the hurdles they had to overcome, despite their talent. She noted that there is still plenty of room for improvement, citing the differences in facilities for men’s and women’s basketball teams during the 2021 March Madness tournament.

“Everybody has at least a part, a role to get us where we are today,” she said.

Willis also shared thoughts about inequitable facilities and how those differences have decreased since 1962. While changes like these in higher education are significant, Willis argued that the most meaningful impacts are found at secondary schools.

“The talent, the pool of talent that we now have at the college level is a reflection of the opportunities that are provided to girls at the high school level,” she said. “Coaching opportunities at that level – this has had a huge impact on the competitive level in college.”

Rounding out the panel, Vargo-Brown reminded the audience of the importance of mindfulness around Title IX and equity issues.

“I think, particularly as things progress, you start to become comfortable in assuming everything is equal,” she said. “You don’t always stay mindful of each situation. ‘Is this really equal?’ ‘Are we providing equal opportunities?’ ‘Are we providing equal recognition?’ ‘Are we providing equal pay?’

“Yes, we are, and can we do more?”

“Other than the Bible, I mean,” he said. “I was really proud of that.”

Snow began his Buckeye journey in the fall of 1987. Almost immediately, he met John Macko in the Student-Athlete Support Services Office (SASSO). Macko has spent the last 38 years working with student-athletes like Snow, providing academic support and helping them navigate the compliance rules of the Big Ten and the NCAA.  

“I’m just a resource,” Macko said. “I drip on them. If they don’t finish, I’m a nudge and I get after them because that’s our commitment to them. We want you to get a great athletic experience but it’s about getting a diploma from Ohio State University. That’s the brass ring.”

Macko retired at the end of last month. It’s fitting that one of his last student-athletes was also one of his first.

“I’ve known Carlos since 1986,” Macko said. “…I’ve known him since he was 17. And he’s 54 now.”

Snow played for the Buckeyes from 1987-1991, missing the 1990 season due to the removal of a benign tumor on his hip. He was named the most valuable player for the 1991 team and the leading rusher for three seasons, still ranking 11^th all-time in career rushing yards.

He played for the Denver Broncos in 1992 before suffering a career-ending knee injury. The years that followed were turbulent. Snow experienced homelessness and was charged with impaired driving in 2017.

After that, Snow reconnected with former and once-again mentor Bernard Masters. Masters asked how he was, and Snow began a practiced, upbeat reply.

“I was going to give him the elevator speech ... but I couldn’t look at him,” he said. “It’s like, would’ve been a lie. I was like, ‘no, I can’t lie to that man.’ So, I told him what was going on and this man, when he snaps his fingers, things happen.”

With support from Masters and his family, Snow was able to return to Ohio State through the university’s Degree Completion Program. The program allows student-athletes who received financial aid of any kind and who left the university in good academic standing to return and provides assistance with re-enrollment into Ohio State, tuition, tutoring services and academic counseling.

Snow said the program made all the difference in the world for him.

“I wanted to know if I could really pass,” he said. “I’m not playing football and that’s the great thing about this: You take the athlete away from the student and that’s where I’m getting good grades.”

Support from Gene Smith, senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director, gave Snow the final push he needed.

“None of this would’ve happened without Gene Smith, without our athletic director,” he said. “He was nice enough to sign that Degree Completion Program for me. When he signed that, I said, ‘I have to make it,’ because that’s big.”

Smith and Macko could see the leadership skills that Snow had. Macko introduced him to a number of student-athletes, including members of the current football team.

“[I met] a couple of the players over there, before Chase Young left, and [JK] Dobbins,” he said, laughing. “They called me ‘Coach Old School.’ I said, ‘Coach Old School?’ I said, ‘I like that.’”

“For them to see a 50-year-old guy coming back to school, in our training area, asking for help, was just tremendous,” Macko said. “Even non-verbally, he shed a lot of insight and power into our student-athletes.”

Snow said asking for help became a regular occurrence. The classroom was a very different place 30 years later. New technology was the first hurdle.

“Computers and me, no,” he said. “That’s a strikeout for me. But I learned how to use it. So, I’m not as good as other people but I can get whatever done.”

This determination is the backbone of Snow’s success. He wanted to finish his degree badly, Macko said. Snow made drastic changes, cutting out socializing with friends and family to focus on his studies.

“I didn’t want to see nothing below a B,” he said. “Everything, it had to be an A or B. And I have to pat myself on the back for that, because it was a lot of work. It was a lot of work.”

Snow graduated with a 3.7 GPA. Receiving his diploma in Ohio Stadium, where he spent so many hours years ago, was a proud moment. Commencement fell on Mother’s Day this year and that made the day even more special. Snow’s mother, whom he calls his best friend, died in 2012.

“I was like, ‘Mama, you done this, on Mother’s Day? You done this. You got your hands in everything,’” he recalled. “I just thought my mother had something to do with it, looking down on me.”

The photo of Snow with his diploma went viral. A beaming smile was proof of a degree hard-won.

“[My diploma] is right on my table. It’s up and I’m waiting until I get an office. … I’m going to have it up,” he said. “That’ll make me work a lot harder.”

Degree in hand, Snow is now polishing his resume. He has volunteered for years with young men, helping them find their paths. The importance of education is something he has always stressed. He hopes to find a job that will allow him to continue that work.

“[Finishing my degree] … was just part one, that was just the first quarter,” he said. “Second quarter, now I got to find me a meaningful job. Then third, I have to maintain. And then, fourth quarter, we would talk about the legacy I would like to leave my children and grandchildren.”

The iconic stadium on the banks of the Olentangy River has been the site of 100 years of games, commencement ceremonies, concerts and, for all Buckeye fans, memories.

“Ohio Stadium holds a special place in the hearts of all Buckeyes and it is a place of historic significance,” said President Kristina M. Johnson. “Families have celebrated a loved one’s academic achievement here, champions have been crowned here and it has helped so many of us fall in love with what it means to be a part of the Ohio State community. We are so excited to enjoy 100 years in the ’Shoe with thousands of our closest friends and we look forward to the celebration ahead this season.”

Ohio Stadium is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of sports. Since the opening game against Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 7, 1922, more than 36 million fans have streamed through the stadium’s gates.

Affectionately known as the ’Shoe, Ohio Stadium is the place where Buckeyes have formed relationships, built communities and enjoyed memorable experiences – from applauding “Script Ohio,” to cheering historic victories against That Team Up North, to presidents and poets uplifting new graduates. This year, the university will join Buckeye fans to celebrate the rich history of the stadium and the bonds built inside its concrete façade.

“I don’t know if there is a more iconic structure in college athletics than Ohio Stadium,” said Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director Gene Smith. “Ohio Stadium has been home to so many wonderful memories, thrilling moments and important events over the past 100 years, and the university, the Department of Athletics and Buckeye Nation are all incredibly proud of our venerable and grand structure.”  

A few of the marquee events and opportunities planned for the celebration this year include:

• A commemoration at the homecoming game against Rutgers on Oct. 1.
• Starting Aug. 20, University Archives will sponsor “A Walk in Our ’Shoe: 100 Years of Ohio Stadium” at Thompson Library. The free exhibit will focus on the history of the stadium with historic uniforms and memorabilia from Buckeye coaching legends.
• Buckeye fans can share their memories and photos as the university collects and circulates those stories throughout the year.
• Limited edition licensed merchandise celebrating 100 years of Ohio Stadium will be available starting at the Spring Game. It will also be available at The Team Shop or online at gobuckeyes.com.

With a seating capacity of 102,780, Ohio Stadium is one of the largest stadiums in the world and the fourth largest on-campus facility in the nation. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The original 66,000-seat venue was designed by Ohio State alumnus and architect Howard Dwight Smith and cost $1.3 million to build. Skeptics of the construction plan were quieted when an overflow crowd of 71,138 showed up for the dedication game against Michigan on Oct. 21, 1922.

Ohio State football ranks second all-time in wins and will play its 133rd season in 2022 in 100-year-old Ohio Stadium, which is nestled nicely along the banks of the Olentangy River as well as on the National Register of Historic Places.

So, you don’t mess too much with change on something of such historical significance. You tweak.

And that’s what the Ohio State Department of Athletics has done with the look of the new field that will be installed in June and July in Ohio Stadium. The same field and design will also replace the outdated indoor surface at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center with work set for April, May and June.

Fan-Inspired Concepts

The department engaged Buckeye Nation in October 2021 to send in fan-inspired design concepts for the field. More than 1,300 designs were submitted, and elements most favored by fans included the Block O at midfield (59%), incorporating Buckeye leaves (48%) and scarlet end zones (46%, compared to 21% suggesting gray end zones).

All three of those elements, plus others favored by fans, are included in the new design that was ultimately determined by an internal panel. Details of the design include:  

• The Block O at midfield has been emphasized with the outer strokes color adjusted to gray.
• Buckeye leaf decals replace the two X’s at the respective 35-yard line kickoff locations.
• Official OHIO STATE and BUCKEYES athletics word marks, consistent with those on other venue playing surfaces and on team uniforms and apparel, are in the two scarlet end zones.
• The outer boundaries of play have been color adjusted to gray to complement the scarlet end zones.
• Yard line numbering matches the block type font on the players’ uniforms. 
• The iconic black/white/scarlet striping pattern, found most prominently on Buckeye helmets, will have a home in each end zone along the end lines, matching the width of the goal posts.

Fans will see the new turf first on Sept. 3, when Ohio State hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

2022 Ticket Information

For those interested in becoming a new season ticket holder, or for more information on 2022 season football tickets, please visit https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.  

2022 Ohio State Schedule

Sept. 3 – Notre Dame

Sept. 10 – Arkansas State

Sept. 17 – Toledo

Sept. 24 – Wisconsin

Oct. 1 – Rutgers

Oct. 8 – at Michigan State

Oct. 15 – Off

Oct. 22 – Iowa

Oct. 29 – at Penn State

Nov. 5 – at Northwestern

Nov. 12 – Indiana

Nov. 19 – at Maryland

Nov. 26 – Michigan

Dec. 3 – Big Ten Championship Game

Sixty years ago, the Buckeyes were invited to the game but, because of a faculty council vote, did not participate. This decision led to protests on campus and in downtown Columbus. The vote and its outcome were “second only to a chimp zooming around the earth,” Shkurti said, referencing the front-page coverage the controversial decision received.

In 1961, the university’s football team, coming off an 8-0-1 season, was invited to play in the Rose Bowl. The Woody Hayes-coached team included Heisman runner-up Bob Ferguson and starters Paul Warfield and Matt Snell, and outscored their opponents 221-83. The team was all but guaranteed a trip to Pasadena for the game known as “The Grandaddy of Them All.”

Jones said that at the time, regional games received more attention than national championships.

“What was important to Ohio State was to win the Big Ten and to go to the Rose Bowl,” he said.

The issues that led to Ohio State’s thwarted Rose Bowl trip began more than five years earlier when Sports Illustrated reported on a recruiting scandal involving Hayes. According to the reporting, Hayes had been providing financial assistance to players with his own funds.

In 1957, the university released what came to be known as the Fullington Report in response to this coverage. The report called for more athletic oversight, including the expansion of Ohio State’s faculty council to give it additional control of the athletics program. (The Athletic Council, a University Senate committee of faculty, students, alumni, athletes, administrators and staff, now carries out this role.)

Two years after the release of the Fullington Report, several Big Ten schools, including Ohio State, chose not to sign a contract with the Rose Bowl after tempers flared over game negotiations.

“[There was] a tiff with the Rose Bowl people about the contract and visiting schools not getting their fair share,” Shkurti said. “So the negotiations dragged on for two years and, as a result, there was no contract.”

With Ohio State lacking a formal tie to the Rose Bowl organization, the faculty council controlled whether the university could send a team to the game at all. At the same time, tensions over metrics for academic and newly created athletic scholarships left the faculty council frustrated by what they considered to be differences in treatment between students and student-athletes.

It is with this background that the faculty council voted against sending the football team to the Rose Bowl in 1961. Protests began on campus almost immediately, with a group of students eventually marching downtown to voice their frustrations.

Despite eventual statements from Hayes and team members supporting the decision, the university and Columbus communities became more hostile – spurred, at least in part, by what Shkurti called inflammatory coverage of the events by the Columbus Dispatch. The paper “stood to lose money by not selling papers related to the Rose Bowl, so it gave this decision big coverage,” Shkurti said.

Reporters leaned heavily into the drama of the event, going so far as to publish contact information for members of the faculty council, some of whom received death threats, he said.

In time, fans came to accept the outcome and the protests died down. Ohio State still finished the season in second place in national polls and headed into the 1962 season ranked No. 1. In an interesting twist, football recruiting was initially damaged by the vote.

“Players in Ohio think that Ohio State’s deemphasizing football: ‘They don’t want to go to bowl games,’ and talent started leaving the state,” Jones said.

This led to Hayes expanding his recruiting base, which ultimately resulted in Ohio State recruiting players like Jack Tatum, a North Carolina and New Jersey native and a member of the 1968 team’s “Super Sophomores.” That team took Ohio State back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1961 vote, where it beat the University of Southern California 27-16, earning the national championship.

To avoid a repeat of this situation, the faculty council voted 36-20 to approve a new Big Ten contract with the Rose Bowl the following year.

While the disappointment stung at the time, the Rose Bowl That Wasn’t is likely more well-known than the game would have been, with impacts that went far beyond the 1961 season.

More than two dozen Buckeyes were honored before the kickoff against Michigan State. Because the COVID-19 pandemic preempted last year’s pregame ceremony, this class includes players who joined the Buckeyes as early as 2016.

These student-athletes are the first senior class in Big Ten Conference history to win four consecutive outright Big Ten championships. Over the last five years, these seniors have combined for a 54-6 overall record and are 37-2 against Big Ten teams. They boast an undefeated record versus That Team Up North.

“One of the things, week in and week out, that I like to bring up is just that things go really, really fast and you can’t take anything for granted,” head coach Ryan Day said earlier this week. “Don’t wait until the last game to enjoy it, don’t wait for the last game to cry before you get on the field, and enjoy it and smell the roses because it goes really fast.”

The senior players honored include:

• Sevyn Banks
• Ryan Batsch
• Chris Booker
• Cameron Brown
• Robert Cope
• Aaron Cox
• Haskell Garrett
• Antwuan Jackson
• Jack Jamieson
• Cade Kacherski
• Austin Kutscher
• Jagger LaRoe 
• Demario McCall
• Thayer Munford
• Chris Olave 
• Nicholas Petit-Frere
• Corey Rau
• Bradley Robinson
• Mitch Rossi
• Jeremy Ruckert
• Tyreke Smith
• Master Teague
• Sam Wiglusz
• Marcus Williamson 

The senior managers Cati Ide, Brandon Merritts, Jake Waddell, Brody Whetsel and Isaac Wilson were also recognized.

Other notable accomplishments from this senior class are a Cotton Bowl victory over the University of Southern California, a Rose Bowl victory over Washington, two College Football Playoff appearances, a Sugar Bowl win over Clemson last year and a College Football Championship game appearance.

The final game of the regular season is Nov. 27 in Ann Arbor.

The Department of Athletics has a new official Ohio State Buckeyes app that fans are encouraged to download – free – for not only season ticket and parking access, but also game day info, team stats, rosters and more. In addition: 

• Fans attending games at Ohio Stadium will need to be aware of some road restrictions. 
• All game tickets will be accessible via mobile devices. 
• Access to parking lots will be via mobile passes, and public lots will be cashless operations. 
• Everyone will pass through a metal detector upon entry to Ohio Stadium. 
• Fans will scan their own ticket into the game at a pedestal ticket scanner. 

Here’s a closer look at the changes and technologies that will be in place for games this season. 

New Ohio State Buckeyes app

The best way to access season tickets and parking passes is through the Ohio State Buckeyes app. The Department of Athletics is rolling out a new official app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. For those fans who already have the Ohio State Buckeyes app, this new update is available now in the Apple and Google Play app stores. To download the app for the first time, visit the Apple App Store or Google Play, or search “Ohio State Buckeyes” in your device’s app store.

The official Ohio State Buckeyes app will feature mobile ticket management, concessions ordering, venue mapping and free live audio of the game along with numerous other options. For more app info: https://go.osu.edu/new_ath_app 

Traffic and shuttles

Ohio State continues to invest in the future of teaching, research and patient care through active construction projects that will change the way many fans enter and exit campus on game day. All fans should plan ahead, arrive early and allow additional time to get inside the stadium.

• Fans parking and riding from west campus will now board shuttles at Carmack 1 – the far eastern parking lot – rather than the Mount Hall Loop, which is under construction. Shuttles will drop off at the Herrick Drive Transit Hub, located south of Ohio Stadium, rather than the Sisson Lot. At the conclusion of the game, fans can board the shuttles at the Herrick Drive Transit Hub for the return trip to Carmack 1.
• John Herrick Drive, including the Herrick Bridge and Tharpe Street, will be closed to the public, limiting access to parking. Please seek alternative routes.
• Woody Hayes Drive will be closed to the public between John Herrick Drive and Kenny Road. Fans trying to access west campus or the Ag Lot parking should seek alternative routes along Lane Avenue and Fyffe Road. 
• COTA will not run transit service this season from the Fairgrounds or Crosswoods Park. 
• Fans will have access to COTA’s fixed-route bus service on game day. Lines 1, 2, 8, 22, 31 and 102 all serve the Ohio State campus area and most provide service every 15 to 30 minutes. 

Fans are encouraged to visit www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/gameday for all game day information, including traffic maps and updates. 

Game tickets

Fans will no longer receive their game tickets in the mail and instead will display their tickets on their mobile device. Mobile tickets offer contactless entry into Ohio Stadium, and other athletics venues, along with greater convenience and safety. Fans can access their tickets online, transfer to family and friends, utilize Buckeyes TicketExchange or donate tickets to charity. Mobile tickets will be available for fans to access as soon as they have selected their seats for the 2021 season and are paid in full. Options for fans without smart phones will be forthcoming.

More information on accessing and managing mobile tickets can be found by visiting Ohio State’s Digital Ticketing Guide.

Parking

All parking will be cashless this year and passes will be on fans’ mobile devices. Individuals with season parking permits will access their passes via their Ohio State Buckeyes account alongside their game tickets. Fans will scan the QR code on their mobile device upon entry to the parking lot. 

Credit cards only will be accepted at all public parking locations. Apple Pay and Google Pay will not be accepted. The price to park is $20.

Cashless operations 

Cashless operations will be utilized throughout Ohio Stadium this year, including for program sales, concessions, ticket office transactions and merchandise. Fans will be able to make purchases with Apple Pay/Google Pay or a credit or debit card. Cash will not be accepted. 

Ticket pedestals

All gates into Ohio Stadium will have ticket pedestals – there will be 120 such pedestals in the stadium –that fans will use to scan their ticket from their own mobile device. 

Metal detectors 

All Ohio Stadium entry gates will be equipped with the latest technology in walk-through metal detectors that guests will need to pass through for entry. Fans will not need to empty their pockets unless instructed by stadium security. The goal is for a frictionless entry into Ohio Stadium. 

No bag policy

Ohio State will continue its no bag policies at Ohio Stadium and all athletic department venues. Small bags, no larger than 5x8x1 inches will be permitted. Guests with medical or child care needs will be permitted to carry one bag, no larger than 14x14x4 inches, into the stadium through one of these two locations: the Band Center entrance between Gates 10 and 12, or the Press Entrance between the Huntington Club and Gate 23.

Medical Center restricted to patients’ needs

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center will be restricted to only patients, visitors, faculty and staff on game days. It can no longer be a “cut through” for fans walking to Ohio Stadium. If you are heading to the game, please be considerate of our patients and do not use the hospital as a cut-through.

Mask policies

Ohio State University updated its mask protocols last week to enhance the health and safety of the campus community and to reflect updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students, faculty, staff and visitors to all Ohio State campuses and medical facilities are required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are required outdoors for unvaccinated individuals when they cannot maintain physical distancing. Vaccinated people are not required to mask outdoors. 

Football game day mask policies include: 

Skull Session – All staff and guests will be required to wear masks; the Marching Band and the football team will wear masks. 

French Field House – All events will require masks for all staff and guests. 

Ohio Stadium – Masks will be required in all interior public spaces, which includes the Huntington Club, elevators, first aid rooms, restrooms and press box. Masks will not be required for outdoor public spaces, which include the entry gates, concourses, concession stands and the seating bowl. 

Public transportation – Masks will continue to be required for all campus public transportation, including game day ADA and west campus shuttles. 

Ohio State encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 

Additional 2021 game day notes: 

• The Ohio State University Marching Band’s skull session will return to St. John Arena.
• The “Tailgate Guys” will now be located at the northeast corner of Lane Avenue and Fred Taylor Drive. 
• Fan Fest, located along the lawn in front of St. John Arena and the ROTC building, will return this season with expanded offerings, including alcohol sales.

Fields is the 12th football player to win Ohio State’s Male Athlete of the Year and the third in the last three years (Dwayne Haskins won the award in 2018-19 and Chase Young in 2019-20). Aquilla is the seventh women’s track and field athlete to be named Ohio State’s Female Athlete of the Year. Her teammate, Sade Olatoye, was the last one in 2018-19.

Aquilla has been the dominant shot put thrower in the Big Ten Conference and nationally in 2021. The junior communications and hospitality management major won her second consecutive Big Ten Conference indoor shot put championship in March. She then won the national championship at the NCAA indoor championships. The Rocky River, Ohio, native sent the shot a school-record 18.12m / 59-5 1/2 to win the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Those efforts earned Aquilla the Big Ten Conference’s indoor field athlete of the championships and its field athlete of the year honors.

She repeated outdoors. First, Aquilla won the Big Ten outdoor shot put championship, breaking the Big Ten championships record twice with her final winning throw of 19.12 / 62-8 3/4 topping her own school mark and personal best by nearly 3 feet. Two weeks ago she won the NCAA national championship, launching her final throw of the competition 18.98m / 62-3 1/4 to secure her second national championship.

And once again, Aquilla earned the Big Ten’s top honors, being named its outdoor field athlete of the championships and its field athlete of the year honors.

Aquilla is currently in Eugene, Oregon, prepping and training for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Fields, who led Ohio State to a 20-2 record and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, capped off his Buckeye career by being named the Big Ten Conference Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year in 2020.

After guiding the Buckeyes to their fourth consecutive Big Ten championship, he saved his most memorable performance for the Allstate Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinal vs. Clemson. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 385 yards and a Sugar Bowl-record six touchdown passes – all while playing through an injury suffered in the second quarter – as Ohio State topped the second-ranked Tigers 49-28 to earn a spot in the CFP National Championship Game.

Over his 22-game career, Fields threw for 5,373 yards with 63 touchdowns compared to only nine interceptions. His 70.2 completion percentage in 2020 was a school record, and he has the school record in passing efficiency (179.1) as well as the top two single season efficiency marks: 181.4 in 2019 and 175.6 in 2020.

Fields became Ohio State’s 22nd winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football in 2020, which is voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches and is awarded to the conference’s best player. He also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. In May, Fields was selected 11th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

The Ohio State women’s team won its eighth overall team championship in program history, all under Dennis, this past weekend at the University of Illinois. The team has dominated the Big Ten with eight conference indoor or outdoor titles in the last 11 years.

The women were led by two individual victories from sprinter Anavia Battle, a 4x100 relay crown, and two Big Ten championship record-setting performances from hammer thrower Sade Olatoye and shot putter Adelaide Aquilla to win the title with 117 points. Indiana (109) and Minnesota (106) placed second and third.

The title, Ohio State’s second consecutive outdoor crown, was particularly special for Dennis.

“This championship was fraught with challenges you couldn’t see coming,” Dennis said. “All of us were certainly dealing with the pandemic, but then on top of that there were injuries and substitutions, you name it. This group of women stepped up and stepped in when needed. Their performances were amazing and I am so very proud of this special group of warriors.”

Dennis, who has won more Big Ten track and field coach of the year honors than any female coach in conference history, has now joined an elite group of coaches with at least 10 coach of the year honors, either indoor or outdoor. Dennis holds the distinction among this group of being the only such coach with coach of the year honors for both men’s and women’s teams.

Most Big Ten Coach of the Year Honors

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field

1. 22 Ed Nuttycombe, Wisconsin
2. 13 James Henry, Michigan
3. 11 Gary Winkler, Illinois
4. 10 Karen Dennis, Ohio State
5.  8 Beth Alford-Sullivan, Penn State

“It certainly is an honor to be among this group of outstanding coaches,” Dennis said. “I have always admired the work these individuals have accomplished at their respective universities.”

The NCAA East Regionals in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 26-29 are up next for Dennis and the Buckeyes.

The thump of the marching band bass drums, the flash of a cheerleader’s silvery pom-pom, Brutus stooping to kiss the boot of Infectious Diseases Division Director Susan Koletar, who’d fractured her right ankle two months earlier pretending the floor was lava with a friend’s grandchildren. It was all so loud and exciting, and critical care nurse Anne Spiller made it a point to let it wash over her, to drink in the sounds and the sights and make it something she’d remember.

“I’m just going to take this in,” Spiller had said, just before she and Koletar left a suite at Ohio Stadium Saturday and went down to the field for the coin toss at The Ohio State University football’s famed Spring Game.

They’d found out a few days before that they’d been chosen for the honor, a recognition of their dedication during the grueling days of the previous year and a celebration of the heroics of health care workers everywhere. While they both considered themselves merely representatives of their teams, they were inarguably good ones: Koletar, an infectious diseases expert who’s been at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center for 33 years, has been a leader in COVID-19 vaccination and prevention efforts throughout the state and the Big Ten Conference. Spiller, a nurse for 35 years — 24 of them at Ohio State — has continuously been at the bedside of COVID-19 patients as a member of the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

“It’s been the most challenging year of my nursing career,” Spiller said. “But we’ve gotten through it really well as a team.”

She thought of that as she woke up Saturday morning — this whole idea of teamwork, of the way we’ve carried one another, especially throughout the past year, when one of us can’t summon the strength. It reminded her of where she was headed that day — to watch one of the country’s best football teams as its latest class learned how to prop one another up and find their collective way into the end zone.

Teamwork was on Koletar’s mind, too, as she thought through the quick progress in the battle against COVID-19, light speed compared to the response to HIV, the virus that started her career.

“It’s really been an effort of solidarity and commitment to get through this,” she said. “And I think and I hope that same sense of community will continue.”

Buckeyes know a thing or two about community, which is why so many show up every year to what is essentially a public scrimmage. On Saturday, nearly 20,000 fans, many of them front-line medical center staff, speckled the Spring Game stands, appropriately masked and spaced 6 feet apart as Ohio State tested out new safety protocols for the 2021 fall season. It was a marked difference from the past season, which had been without fans, cheerleaders, Brutus and the band. This time, Brutus was there. The spirit squad was there. The band was there, and a few feet away in a golf cart, Spiller and Koletar were there, waiting to flip a coin.

They both wore Ohio State-themed masks. Koletar’s gray boot complemented Spiller’s scarlet windbreaker. When the clock struck noon, they headed to the 50-yard line, Koletar pushing along the turf on a scooter (“like rolling on carpet,” she said), joined by none other than Buckeyes Head Coach Ryan Day, who walked over to thank them for their work.

The two had discussed who might toss the coin and, after a few wobbly practice attempts with a quarter, Spiller had deferred to Koletar — though a referee ended up throwing it anyway (also, for future reference, the coin is much larger than a quarter). When he called out Koletar as an honorary captain, applause filled the stadium.

And then it was over, and they headed off the field and back to the third-floor suite to watch the game, greeted by cheers from some of their team members.

“It was fun, and completely not what I expected to do this Saturday,” Koletar said. “I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to do this, especially in honor of my team.”

The capacity was determined with the guidance of Columbus Public Health and with respect to the new health orders announced by Gov. Mike DeWine this week. The capacity was set based on seat mapping and the still-current guideline of six-feet of distance between seating pods.

“On behalf of the university and the Department of Athletics, I want to sincerely thank Gov. DeWine, Dr. Mysheika Roberts and Columbus Public Health, and Mayor Ginther and the City of Columbus for their collective leadership throughout this pandemic,” Gene Smith, Senior Vice President & Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director, said. “We are not through this health crisis yet, but the collaboration among all of these entities has enabled us to safely return fans to our venues and, in particular, Ohio Stadium next week for the spring game.”

Appreciation Seats

Approximately 10,000 seats will be given to the Wexner Medical Center and select entities on campus whose staff has cared for and administered to others for over a year by working and serving on the front lines of this pandemic.

The department anticipates approximately 4,500 tickets, at $5 per ticket, will be available to the general public. An additional 2,500 tickets in the south stands will be reserved for Ohio State students at no charge. The remaining seats will be held for football players’ and coaching staff families with any tickets remaining from those groups going into the general public pool.

Tickets on sale Monday

Tickets for the spring game will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. Monday online at ticketmaster.com. Season ticket holders will receive information via email on Friday regarding presale access.

Ohio State students can reserve two seats from the 2,500-seat allotment Monday beginning at 2 p.m., and will receive instructions via email on Friday for how to claim tickets.

Noon kick on Big Ten Network

The spring game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. It will also be carried on the statewide Ohio State Sports Radio Network and flagship WBNS 97.1 FM The Fan with Paul Keels, Jim Lachey and Matt Andrews on the call.

The Band and Spirit Squad, Too

Ohio State will use this spring game as a test run opportunity for the 2021 fall season in terms of safety policies and procedures. The band and the spirit squad – Brutus Buckeye, the cheerleaders and dance team – will all be in attendance and performing.

In addition, a limited number of media will be credentialed for the game.

No Tailgating

Parking in the lots around the stadium is free, although the west stadium lot will be designated as a pass-only parking lot. Tailgating will not be allowed in parking lots or anywhere on Ohio State’s campus.

Safe Attendance Policies/Additional Info

The Department of Athletics is aligned with the university, the state of Ohio and Columbus Public Health in making the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, administrative staff and visitors to campus our priority. Athletics will continue to follow all federal, state, local, and conference guidance and protocols for hosting and playing sports. Safety measures for the spring game include:

• Masks will be mandatory for all guests and event staff at all times while attending the spring game as well as additional events at Ohio State’s athletic venues and facilities.
• All guests and staff will be asked to remain six feet apart.
• In areas where the department anticipates lines forming, there will be ground markings placed six feet apart on the floor/pavement.
• “Control Staff” and restroom attendants will remind guests to remain diligent with hand washing and safe distancing.
• Fans will be reminded to stay seated while actively eating or drinking.
• Ohio State has a No Bag Policy. Bags or purses of any size are NOT permitted in Ohio Stadium. Wallets and wristlets no larger than 5”x8”x1” are permitted.
• All items and persons entering Ohio Stadium are subject to security screening and inspection. Guests entering with medical, dietary, or childcare may enter through the Band Entrance (near Gate 10) or Press Entrance (near Gate 23) to have their items inspected.

Most Ohio State sports competing this spring won’t see a significant increase in attendance and most won’t have opportunities for general fan attendance under the policies athletics has developed and formalized with Columbus Public Health.

Based on mapping and social distancing, only men’s and women’s lacrosse at Ohio Stadium and those sports competing at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium – men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track and field – will have an attendance increase that will allow for the admission of the general public.

There will not be any general public ticket availability for the sports of baseball, softball, field hockey and men’s and women’s tennis. There are too few tickets available for those sports after tickets are allocated to family members of the student-athletes and coaching staffs of the competing teams. Any remaining tickets will be offered to groups such as students, donors and/or season ticket holders.

Capacities were determined by seating pods distanced 6 feet apart and with thresholds of 30% capacity for outdoor venues and 25% for indoor venues. In all cases, the physical distancing of the pods does not allow for those thresholds to be reached.

Lacrosse and Men’s Soccer Tickets

Fans wishing to attend lacrosse matches at Ohio Stadium and the final home men’s soccer match at Jesse Owens this weekend – Sunday, April 4, at 1 p.m. vs. Michigan State – can walk up to each facility on game day and receive a digital ticket with an assigned seat until capacity is reached.

There will not be an admission charge for any of these regular season events. All fans will be asked to share contact information in case contact tracing is needed after the event.

Safe Attendance Policies/Additional Info

• All guests and staff will be asked to remain 6 feet apart.
• In areas where the department anticipates lines forming, there will be stickers placed 6 feet apart on the floor/pavement.
• “Control Staff” and restroom attendants will remind guests to remain diligent with hand washing and safe distancing.
• Seating areas will be numbered by row and seat. Guests will receive a reserved ticket and will sit in assigned seating pods spaced 6 feet apart.
• All guests and event staff will wear face coverings at all times while attending events at Ohio State’s athletic venues and facilities.

Spring Football Game Tickets

Attendance for the football spring game, planned for April 17 at noon, is still to be determined with Columbus Public Health. Also to be determined is the attendance at post-season conference or NCAA championship events that Ohio State may host in the Covelli Center.

The Department of Athletics is aligned with the university in making the health, safety and well-being of student-athletes, administrative staff and visitors to campus the top priority. Athletics will continue to follow all federal, state, local, and conference guidance and protocols for hosting and playing sports.