Ohio State announced some major changes to the seating arrangements in Ohio Stadium, The Horseshoe, which will begin in 2026. Ohio State is going to add more luxury seats on the south end of the stadium. This will relocate the band from their seats, which they have occupied for 25 years, and remove the student section's access to the field, making the loudest part of the venue, which has been struggling with energy, quieter.
Fans have already been upset with the lack of energy at Ohio Stadium, which has been in large part due to a ridiculously high level of noon kickoffs, the crowd I call the Yacht Club fans refusing to do more than golf clap for the Buckeyes in any situation, and high ticket prices. This time, the silencing of the Shoe can't be blamed on Fox and their goofy commitment to noon kickoffs.
The Ohio State University Marching Band and the Block O student section weaswhat kept the energy from completely escaping at the top of the U ,that is the Horseshoe of Ohio Stadium. With the band now being moved to the opposite end of the Shoe and nine suites and 400 luxury seats being a buffer between the students and the field, the home atmosphere of Ohio Stadium will continue to get lower on the altimeter. And you can kiss scenes like this one goodbye.
There will be no more fans on the field, no matter how big the moment, as the new luxury seats look like they will cut off the Block O student section from the field. Fans have been begging for other improvements to the stadium, such as better bathrooms, better video boards, and ticket prices to big games that don't require you to be a millionaire to be able to afford. What have they gotten after the team won a national championship game? More noon kickoffs and luxury seating for the Yacht Club fans.
While the games are becoming less affordable and enjoyable for the average fan, the quality of atmosphere for the team has also declined. In the past decade, there has been a homefield advantage that was palpable for only two games: the playoff game against Tennessee in December and the 2016 2OT win over that team up north. This just makes a home-field advantage that much less likely.
With the games becoming that much more inaccessible for the average fan, and that much quieter for the team, and the program needing that much more money for NIL for the players, it's becoming clear that the administration at Ohio State is out of touch. Right now, they are tone-deaf at best, and indifferent at worst.
They almost may as well announce a ticket price hike while they're at it. Here's hoping some changes are on the way for the average Buckeye fan, not just more for the one percenters. Some things that will allow greater access to the young Buckeye parents who want their kids to fall in love with Ohio State football and treat them to an experience of a lifetime, like it has been for so many hundreds of thousands before.