October 4, 2025
Ohio Stadium (Capacity: 102,780)
Columbus, OH
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers
Final Score: 42 – 3
.
I have 92 stadiums on my Bucket List and this is one of them as the excitement was very high to see one of College Football’s cathedrals. Before discussing the school, let’s start with the city. Located in Central Ohio along the Scioto River, Columbus is both Ohio’s capital and its largest city. It has been growing steadily over the last several decades and with a population of 930,000, that ranks it 14th in the United States. Columbus doesn’t have the cache or attractions that the other big cities in the corners of Ohio have, however it is home to THE Ohio State University. This massive school with 60,000 students has a state-wide athletic following that is even more impressive. Football is the most decorated sport at Ohio State and the Buckeyes were fresh off a 2024 National Championship (their 9th) when I visited. With 39 Big Ten crowns and a winning percentage of .735, expect to see OSU always near the top of the College Football world, especially in this era of NIL. It’s also a program that is not well liked across the country, not just because they’re good, but because they’ve often gotten into trouble and have had numerous infractions through the years. As for their stadium, it is a mecca in the sport. Ohio Stadium opened in 1922 and is a historic relic steeped in tradition. Known as “The Horseshoe” for its distinctive shape, a game at Ohio Stadium is a memorable all-day event.
Prestige Ranking: 5 out of 5
Location
Two places to check out in Columbus are the German Village and COSI. The former is an impressively large neighborhood, all on brick streets, with plenty of history and heritage (Schmidt’s Sausage Haus is a must). Meanwhile, COSI is a great place if you have kids as the downtown science center is one of the best in the country. Ohio State is located in the University District, 5-10 minutes north of downtown. Campus is absolutely massive as it is on so much land that it almost behaves as a small city. Ohio Stadium is near the Olentangy River and you’ll find other athletic fields, venues and parking lots in the area. Immediately east, campus buildings pop up and they get clustered quickly. It’s pretty cool that this is an on-campus stadium so close to Ohio State’s core. One place to venture is The Oval, which is the heart of OSU. Also walkable from the stadium is High Street, the main business strip. Restaurant options aren’t that impressive with a lot of chains in the mix, but you’ll find some bars and hangouts too. No matter what you do, there’s a ton going on for Football Gamedays (see the “Atmosphere” section below) and plan on getting here 3-5 hours before kickoff to experience it all.
Location Ranking: 7 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
With Columbus being in the middle of the state, there are multiple major highways that run through the capital. There can be traffic, but nothing terrible unless you are in the endless construction right downtown where I-70 and I-71 meet up. Ohio State’s campus is a short drive up Route 315 (Olentangy Freeway). It’s a fairly easy ride and if you decide to park in the public lots on West Campus, using 315 is the best way to get there. These large, tailgate-able lots are a long way from the stadium (25-30 minute walk), however there is a shuttle that can be used at the Mount Hall Loop. We opted for a different choice at the opposite end since we weren’t tailgating and I wanted to walk through some of Campus before the game. My plan was to use one of two parking garages next to the Union (student center). However, one of them was full and the other had a very lengthy line to get into. Despite being easily accessible from I-71 (take the 11th Ave exit), you have to use High Street and that was packed. Our backup option was the South Campus Gateway Garage. It was open and easier to navigate. The downfall was a 30 minute walk to the stadium. Getting out of the garage after the game took awhile (20 minutes) and the drive back to an interstate was quite stressful as the city streets were frighteningly tight. “Am I going to make it” as another car is coming toward you is not a desirable phrase to utter.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 4 out of 8
Exterior
Ohio Stadium is like a cathedral as its grand, towering appearance is worthy of what is held inside. The exterior design was modeled after Italian architecture as columns can be seen all along the side. It is indeed shaped like a horseshoe and the North Rotunda features Roman elements and stained glass murals. This end-zone design is a little bit different in that it is the original 1922 concrete, whereas the sides are a newer off-white material. Over on the other side, where the open horseshoe part was enclosed, there is a modern mix of glass and white wall with the back of the scoreboard at the top having an “Ohio Stadium” sign. One of the coolest features is in the southeast corner as an original tower houses the Victory Bell. After a Buckeye win, the bell rings and can be heard throughout campus.
Exterior Ranking: 8.5 out of 10
Concourse
It’s not surprising that this landmark features old, cramped concessions. Fans enter at ground level and the completely enclosed lower concourse features a lot of gray concrete and various piping. With a lack of an open congregating area, an outer shell of space attempts to spread a little of the traffic, but that’s hard to do when you can have 100k in the house. Heading to the upper concourse is the first battle of attrition if the wait for the very few elevators is too long. After the climb of many flights of stairs, this second concourse also has a splitness to it as you can choose your adventure where it may be less crowded. I never did venture out at halftime (opted to watch the band) and since the game was a blowout, I did not experience what concourse congestion is at it’s height. Getting up midway through the second quarter still featured bathroom and concession lines.
Concourse Ranking: 2 out of 5
Food
First, before we even got to the stadium, we stumbled upon free food at The Oval. I thought it was private event initially, then saw anybody just wander into the tents and get an array of offerings from City BBQ! That was a great start and it held me over until deep into the night game we attended. Inside The Shoe, another cool thing were all the stations for soda refills and water. Either sign up for the DD program or bring in a water bottle and you’re all set as long as expensive beers during a game isn’t for you. Food-wise, most of what you see is pretty standard stuff. There will be a stand or two with street tacos or an Italian Sub, but not much unique. I went the Burger route and though they pay homage to their opponent with some variation, I forgot to order that and had a plain one instead. For beer, it was good to see Columbus represented and that includes well-regarded Land Grant Brewing Company.
Food Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Interior
Ohio Stadium’s famous horseshoe design defines the place, with a double-decker layout that feels both classic and imposing. Because it’s not overloaded with luxury suites, sightlines are better than you’d expect for a 100,000-seat venue, though you’ll still feel the distance from the due to the vast number of rows. The lower bowl (A Deck) has a good pitch, while the upper (C Deck) is very steep. I like that, but with nearly 50 rows and the concourse entrance at the bottom, the climb is no joke and I was sucking air by the time I reached my seat in Row 32. On the east side, there’s a tucked-in B Deck below the upper level that feels a bit cave-like. The west side uses that same space for suites and the Press Box, a more efficient setup that works well here. All seating is bleacher-style in spite of vast swaths of red throughout the bowl. That’s where season-ticket holders have permanently set-up their portable chairback. Otherwise, it is very tight seating and squished is an understatement. We got Seats 3-4, which helped as it was a breath of fresh air when the two people next to us left at halftime. The open end of the horseshoe was closed in during a 2001 renovation, adding three tiers of student seating. In terms of historical elements, the corner towers add that touch, while the opposite end zone’s massive flagpole gives “The Shoe” another unique element. Our 9C seating section allowed for a nice visual beyond the stadium as we could see the closer University Hospital buildings, plus a distanced look at the Columbus skyline. This historical stadium is certainly one of the better ones when it comparing it to the other giant ones in the sport.
Interior Ranking: 11 out of 14
Scoreboard
The scoreboard above the student section is placed correctly and has a good design with a script, logo and subtle stadium elements. It is a very clear screen and while the video is not at the top end in the sport in terms of size, it’s certainly good enough. My lone beef was the out-of-town scoreboard on the side which had two final scores wrong (one of them shown below). Ribbon boards are found on the sides and the north end of the stadium features a much smaller screen between the upper and lower deck.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
It’s surprising and disappointing that a college football team of this stature does not have a dedicated museum or a historical section. Even inside The ‘Shoe, there is no thorough overview of Buckeyes Football. Concourse walls are generally barren and the lone piece I could find was a display honoring stadium ushers and their longevity. The interior wall façade at least has the years of each National Championship (nothing for Big Ten Titles). Seven players have had their number retired and plenty more names are honored above the south end zone. Two famed coaches (Woody Hayes and Paul Brown) have their own section. At least the North Rotunda has a decorative Block O and descriptive plaques about the stadium. On the outside, make sure to check out Buckeye Grove, where each of Ohio State’s All-Americans gets a tree planted in their honor. I honestly forgot about this and didn’t make it over to the southwest corner.
Displays Ranking: 2.5 out of 6
Cost
Prices will vary depending on the opponent as a game against Texas or Penn State is 3 times the cost of what you’ll see for an FCS opponent. Taking a middle-of-the road conference game, there were seven pricing tiers, ranging from $93 to $218 and that structure was distributed almost evenly. It’s tough to get a ticket through the school (outside of single-seats), so the secondary market will be the avenue for most. There is a mark-up and we ended up spending $120 as a get-in price for this game against Minnesota. This is ticket price is at the high-end of the sport, but not at the tippy-top with several SEC teams having more expensive tickets for “average” games. Within the Big Ten, Ohio State is on par with Michigan and any other school having an excellent year (ex. ’25 Indiana). For parking, we paid $30 for our distanced lot. It can be had for $20 if you want to go even further away. Close to the stadium is a whopping $60. My biggest mouth drop pricing moments were the $20 program and the $15 plain burger that came with no sides and throw your on lettuce/tomato/cheese.
Cost Ranking: 3.5 out of 8
Fan Support
I remember being in Akron for a football game and the fans around me were more interested in talking about the Buckeyes than the Zips. Ohio is a state that is rapid for the Scarlet & Gray. The evidence is in the 100,000 people that are consistently at each game. That was the case for this Saturday Night contest against Minnesota as it was a sight to behold in that practically every seat was filled. Even the huge student stands behind the south end zone were at capacity (up until halftime). More impressively, I went back and looked at highlights for when they played FCS Grambling and the place was also packed near capacity. Despite six other FBS schools in Ohio, the ardent following of the Buckeyes is evident wherever you go. In addition, the fans at the game were very interested in what was happening elsewhere on the day in the college football world.
Fan Support Ranking: 8 out of 8
Atmosphere
The pageantry of a game at Ohio Stadium lives up to the fandom. Without even tailgating, we arrived three hours early to campus and that wasn’t enough time. After being surprised by the food, viewing areas and games on the South Lawn, we walked closer to the stadium where a more official “FanFest” was going on at Remembrance Lawn. Next door is the historic St. John Arena and this is where the popular Skull Session takes place. It often begins 2.5 hours before kickoff and the event is somewhere between a pep rally and a final rehearsal for the band. It is packed and popular inside as the event also features speeches from the Head Coach and a player. We left a little early so that I could tour the stadium. Regardless of your interests, definitely be in your seats 30 minutes before kickoff for the wonderful pregame show by “The Best Damn Band in the Land”. They have a set of traditions finished off by the beautiful Script Ohio as the crowd claps in unison. At the end, a sousaphone player has the honor of dotting the I and it is an iconic tradition in the sport. As things get closer to kickoff, a special guest will ring the Victory Bell and then each side of the stadium will spell out a letter in “O – H – I – O”. The band is in the North End of the stadium and they play throughout the game. We were seated up and behind them, so we couldn’t hear as good as the rest of the stadium. One other tradition is at the end of the 3rd quarter, when TBDBITL plays “Hang On Sloopy” and fans interject the spelling of their state. Fan participation was hushed, like barely above a whisper, but it was still fun.
During the game, it’s loud. At peak, I’d call it very loud (not ear-ringing). Touchdowns pretty much bring everyone to their feet and I really love their fight song (“Across the Field“) that plays afterwards. 3rd Downs on defense certainly elevate the noise, but does not feature a mostly standing crowd. Overall, the decibels at The ‘Shoe are up there, just not at the level seen at several other places. I first felt this vibe that the atmosphere (from a loud perspective) wasn’t quite at the top tier during the pregame when the initial team cheering was a little muted. Felt more of an arrogance thing in that, ‘we’re awesome, this Big Ten mid-tier game will be easy’. Additionally, a couple months before my visit, Ohio State came out with a bunch of enhancements to the atmosphere. All of those items are great moves in my eyes, but the need for it tells me things needed to be bolstered. Regardless, a game at Ohio Stadium is everything you want from College Football and the combination of tradition, band and crowd size still make for one of the best atmosphere’s in sport.
Atmosphere Ranking: 14 out of 14
Other Stuff
So what exactly is a Buckeye? It’s a tree and Ohio’s official state one, hence the nickname for the state school. The Buckeye nut has a distinctive look and it is incorporated into pieces of the visual experience. Most notably is the mascot Brutus the Buckeye with a cleverly designed head. The Buckeye leaf is also part of the helmet as each player gets a circular sticker on their gray hat for various on-field accomplishments…..The list of football names at this school go on forever. The biggest include: Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Troy Smith and now, what seems like half of NFL rosters…..Ohio State’s rivalry with Michigan is likely the biggest in not just college football, but all of American sports. So deep is the hatred that Ohio State refers to them as “TTUN”, short for “That Team up North”. During the week of “The Game”, M’s are crossed out all across OSU’s campus.
Game
Coming into this game, Ohio State was allowing just 5.5 points per game on defense. So of course, Minnesota marches right down the field in their first possession and gets a field goal. After that OSU showed why they might be at a historically good level as a semi-decent Gophers team barely managed 100 yards the rest of the way. They didn’t score again or even convert another 3rd down as the Buckeye defense is ridiculous. The offense is good too as Julian Sayin went 23/27 with 326 yards and 3 TDs. Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith combined for 16 catches and the #1 team in the country romped to a 42-3 win.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
