With Ohio State football hosting marquee matchups in 2019, fans could see bump in ticket prices

UPDATE: The Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved the proposed 2019 ticket prices.

Lions, Badgers and Spartans will visit Ohio Stadium in 2019, making the home schedule for the Buckeyes one of the most enticing for college football fans in the nation.

Fans of The Ohio State University football team could see a small increase in season ticket prices next year as marquee programs Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State visit the Shoe. The Ohio State University Board of Trustees will consider 2019 ticket prices for football at its meeting Nov. 15-16.

The cost of student tickets remains unchanged.

The Ohio State Athletic Council recommended that tickets for individual games be priced at $60 to $198 for regular reserved seating, depending on the opponent. The council, made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni, helps develop policies governing intercollegiate athletics.

Games against Florida Atlantic and Miami University will be $60 and $65, respectively. The games against Penn State and Wisconsin will cost $198 and $170, respectively, per ticket.

Overall, season tickets for members of the public will cost $63 more than they did for the current season, and $58 more in total season ticket prices.

Season ticket packages cost less than the total for per-game tickets. Public season ticket holders will see a 15 percent discount, while faculty and staff receive a 20 percent discount.

For students, a season ticket costs $238 — or $34 per game. That price is expected to be maintained through at least the 2020 season.

The Department of Athletics continues to be one of only 24 self‐sustaining athletic programs in the nation. The department funds scholarships for more than 1,100 student‐athletes.

Golf Course Membership and Daily Green Fees

The trustees are also expected to consider a modest price increase for the university golf courses.

For the 2019 calendar year, membership dues for alumni, faculty, staff and affiliates are recommended to increase by 2.5 percent. Ohio State student membership dues are recommended to increase by 2.1 percent.

Also proposed is a reinstatement of the $1,000 initiation fee for new members, which had been waived since 2010 after a decline in memberships. This fee would not apply to students.

The Ohio State Golf Club currently has 858 members, which includes 178 students. Approximately 250 people are on the wait list.

The membership dues increase and initiation fee would be allocated to the capital reserve account for future projects and deferred maintenance; daily green fees are allocated as operating revenue.