Go Bucks! (Ohio Stadium (Ohio, USA))

Member Name: MarcoG

Product:	Ohio Stadium (Ohio, USA)
Date:	17/04/09 (165 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Breath-takingly huge

Disadvantages: Not a lot of shade

You may or may not know, but I've been spending a lot of my time in Columbus, the capital state of Ohio, America. Whilst here, it has felt necessary for me to experience as much of the 'American life' as I can. So, whilst visiting the University campus area (where the other half works), it felt only appropriate to visit the Ohio State University Stadium and as soon as the College Football (American Football) season started, to go and see a game. One piece of advice, if ever you find yourself in the same situation...GO!

The first thing that hits you is the sheer scale of the place. Previously, the only other stadiums I was familiar with, was the Madejski in Reading and Wembley. Ohio Stadium makes these places look like a couple of chairs in a circle with a patch of grass in the middle! Ohio Stadium seats a staggering 102,329 people, making it the sixth largest sports stadium in the world and the second largest in America.

The stadium is the home to the Buckeyes, the college football team (and arch rivals to the Michigan Wolverines) and is one of the Big Ten teams in America (kind of like the Premier League). As well as American football, it is also home to the Columbus Crew, major league soccer team. The location is very central to Columbus, in the heart of the University grounds. Although geographically, the Stadium is actually on a flood plain and situated close to the Olentangy River, but I assume they thought, when building it, that the risk of flood is worth it for the stunning views you get from top row of the seating.

Ohio stadium was completed back in 1922 by E.H.Latham Company of Columbus and cost $1.49million. It's not just the massive scale and beauty of the stadium that is noticeable, but if you enter from the north entrance, you will go under a massive rotunda, with stunning stained glass murals of the Buckeyes, designed in mind of the Pantheon of Rome. For a young building (in comparison to the Pantheon), the sense of grandeur and workmanship is awesome. In 1984 a $2.1 million scoreboard was added and over the years renovations have ended up costing an outstanding $194million, and remarkably no public or university money was spent in the renovation, money came from donations and sales of leases, suites, club seats and rights to portions of the stadium.

The stadium is also known as 'The Horseshoe' (or just 'the shoe') due to it's shape or 'The House Harley Built'. It stands out from a far and more noticeably as you fly into Columbus International Airport - in all it's scarlet and grey glory. If you use the University's gym, you can overlook the Stadium, giving you a sense of athleticism as you work out.

I saw the Buckeyes play against Youngstown in September 2008, and it was packed, although it would seem the largest crowd in the stadiums history appeared a few weeks later on 25th October, when 105,711 (more than the seating capacity) fans flocked to see the game against rivals Penn State Nittany Lions. Sadly, we lost.

For the uninitiated, a buckeye is a nut (rather like a conker) - I thought this was a rather strange mascot, for example Michigan has a wolverine, a vicious animal...and we have...a nut! A ha, but it is a poisonous nut! The mascot is weirder, especially when they humanise it, to create 'Brutus Buckeye', who is a man with a big nut for a head, nice. The colours for the Buckeyes are Scarlet and Grey - so make sure you wear something related to that colour scheme, just to show your boys some support!

If you want tickets for a game, it helps knowing someone who works at the university as some staff (depending on length of time working there etc) get priority tickets in the 'staff stands' meaning that our seats were really close to the action. It was also the height of summer, thus the sun was beating down, with hardly any shade (apart from those sat underneath and in the shadow of the scoreboard) so sunburn is a huge risk. You really need to make sure you're wearing high factor sun creams and cover up well with hats and t-shirts, as well as keeping hydrated. Tickets can cost anything from $20 - $100.

A Buckeyes game can last up to 3 hours, so refreshments are essential. Around the perimeter of the stadium you can buy pizzas, hotdogs, popcorn and drinks (as with most stadiums). The queues can be quite lengthy, but there are a lot of servers and stands selling food and drinks, so the wait is understandable for the volume of customers, rather than the lack of staff organisation. As well as refreshments, you can also buy various souvenirs, including t-shirts, hats, big foam hands, and all matter of things Buckeye related. As one might expect, everything inside the stadium is quite pricey, for American standards, not necessarily for British standards. A bottle of water can cost around $3-4 (whereas in the UK, it would cost £3-4!) and pizzas around $6-7.

As well as football, the Stadium has also been used for various concerts, although these tend to be for super star bands like U2, as most artists play at the Nationwide Arena or Schottenstein Centre (where you can see Britney, for example). It's strange though, that for such a huge venue, it doesn't actually have any field lights, but has to hire them in to cater for night games/concerts etc.

The game can be tricky to follow for American Football virgins, or for the uninterested, but good news - there is constantly alternative entertainment in the form of cheerleaders and gymnasts (they do some bloody impressive moves...and include boys as well as girls), a marching and static brass band (known as TBDBITL, or The Best Damn Band In The Land), mascots, various hard-core diehard fans who spur on the crowd decorated in scarlet and gray face-paint, costumes and necklaces made out of buckeyes. A mobile band also makes the rounds from seating section to section, allowing the crowd to sing or clap along chants to rouse the players. One of the things I loved the most about the game, ironically, was half time. In the UK, when it's half time for a football match, not a lot happens. But here, they have a whole troupe who entertain the crowds, including a marching band dressed in all it's traditional finery (I felt very sorry for them in the sweltering heat), who spell out the 'Ohio script' whilst playing, lead by a very spirited and almost comic book like leader, who helps the tuba player dot the 'i'. They do this at everygame and it is a sight to behold. You really must check them out on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPNnIFH6_RU

There are many chants that the crowds can sing, from the fight songs 'Across the fields' and 'The Buckeye Battle cry'*, to more popular songs 'Hang on Sloopy' (as sang by the Supremes) and 'Le Regiment'. Being there and joining in with the chants, you really get a sense of pride, tradition and all round family entertainment - unlike the lager louts in the UK, with chants that hurl abuse at players using language that you wouldn't want your little ones to hear. If you haven't watched that youtube clip yet, watch it now to see what I mean.

I would whole heartedly recommend for anyone to visit the Ohio Stadium and check out a game, even if you loathe the sport itself. Structurely it is a stunning venue, being able to provide just as much interest for an anti-sports tourist, as for a sports fan. A must for all.

Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading :)


© MarcoG 2009



*incase you wanted to learn the words and sing along:
In old Ohio(Columbus) there's a team
That's known throughout the land
Eleven warriors brave and bold
Whose fame will ever stand
And when the ball goes over,
Our cheers will reach the sky
Ohio Field will hear again
The Buckeye Battle Cry!

(You can sing along here if you're watching the youtube clip...)
Drive, drive on down the field
Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Don't let them through that line
We've got to win this game today
COME ON OHIO!
(or O-HI-O!!)
Smash through to victory
We cheer you as you go
Our honor defend
So we'll (We will) fight to the end
for O-HI-O!

Wasn't that great?...GO BUCKS!

The stadium is very easy to find within the University campus, but if you want an address, here you go:
410 Woody Hayes Drive
Columbus, OH 43210
(614) 292-7572

Summary: Go Bucks!