The Ohio State Buckeyes will kickoff their first of seven home games this season against Hawaii Saturday.
In preparation for the first home game of 2015, the university has released information for fans planning to visit Ohio Stadium.
Football Game Day Web Page
The Ohio State Football Game Day web page, www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/gameday/, provides complete information for Buckeye fans and visitors, including stadium policies, parking information and transportation options.
Ohio Stadium policies
Ohio Stadium gates open two hours prior to kick off.
Guests are encouraged to travel light. Bags larger than 14-by-14-by-4 are prohibited. To avoid long lines at gate entrances, template stations are located around the stadium, allowing guests to measure their bags. Audio and video recording equipment and still cameras with lenses greater than 100 mm are also prohibited. All bags and containers are subject to search.
Everyone, regardless of age, is required to have a ticket or credential to gain admission into the stadium.
Security personnel located outside each gate will assist with crowd control, check the identification of discounted student or faculty/staff ticketholders and look for prohibited items.
An abbreviated list of items prohibited in Ohio Stadium include: alcohol, baby strollers, beverages, containers (cans, bottles, ice chests, thermoses), fireworks, flags, food, illegal drugs, laser pointers, noisemakers, signs, sports equipment and weapons (knives, irritants, firearms). A complete list is available on the game day website.
Umbrellas are permitted inside the stadium for use before and after games.
All forms of smoking are prohibited at Ohio State, including Ohio Stadium.
Guests with a medical need for a personal chair-back seat or specific dietary needs must enter only through Gates 13, 16, 23 or 26.
Disability seating/services
Disability seating is provided on all levels of Ohio Stadium. Individuals requesting accommodations for a disability can contact the Department of Athletics or the university ADA coordinator or complete a Disability Needs Form. Early requests are encouraged.
All entrances into Ohio Stadium are accessible for guests with disabilities. Guests should enter the gate nearest to their ticketed section, with the following exceptions:
1) Seats in sections 1A, 3A, 3AA, 5A or 5AA – Enter Gate 7.
2) Seats in sections 2A, 4A, 4AA, 6A or 6AA – Enter Gate 8.
Four elevators, located on the west side of Ohio Stadium between Gates 17-23, provide access to disability seating on the Club Level and D Deck. Elevators located near Sections 7 and 10 provide access to B and C Decks. One elevator located near Section 39 services the South Stands.
Closed captioning is provided on the primary scoreboard in the South Stands and on the north scoreboard. At least half of the television monitors in the concourse will feature closed captioning of television broadcasts.
Assistive listening devices are available at no charge at the Guest Services booths near Gates 13, 14 and 38. A driver’s license, credit card or other valid form of picture identification is required as a deposit.
Fan and player safety
As Buckeyes, it is essential to initiate and foster a friendly and welcoming environment for all to portray the university with the pride and respect it deserves. When you cheer on the team, please help prove Ohio State has the Best Fans in the Land.
Fans are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and follow the fan code of conduct:
- Be a positive role model, and expect and encourage good displays of sportsmanship from fellow fans.
- Represent their university, their conference and the NCAA with honor, dignity and respect.
- Cheer positively for their team and refrain from taunting, threatening, vulgar, abusive, racist, sexist, or demeaning remarks or gestures directed toward the coaches, student-athletes, fans, staff and game officials
- Respect all facility regulations.
- Sit only in ticketed seats and show tickets when requested.
- Do not stand on seats or in the aisles, enter the playing area or throw items onto the playing area.
- Follow all local, state or federal laws and any instructions from event staff.
- Fans appearing intoxicated, inebriated or showing other signs of impairment related to alcohol or drug use may be denied entry and may be subject to ejection.
- Wear clothing without obscene or indecent messages.
No-Fly zone
The Federal Aviation Administration has classified airspace above Ohio Stadium as National Defense Airspace. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in effect one hour before each home football game starts and continues until one hour after the end of the games. All aircraft operations, including parachute jumping, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and remote controlled aircraft such as drones, are prohibited within three miles of Ohio Stadium. Anyone found operating a UAS/drone in violation of applicable laws or university policies could be asked to leave campus and/or could be subject to arrest or criminal prosecution.
Tailgating and other traditions
Tailgating at Buckeye football games is a long-standing tradition. Fan behavior before, during and after each game reflects on the university and the city. Guests should conduct themselves in a manner that allows everyone to enjoy the game in a safe, family-friendly atmosphere.
- The Ohio State Marching Band Skull Session starts two hours before kickoff of every home football game. Held in St. John Arena, the skull session is a popular concert/pep rally, with more than 10,000 fans in attendance. The event is free, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees should anticipate security checkpoints at the arena before entering. Doors open four hours prior to kickoff.
- Companies are prohibited from distributing free or sample products without the approval of the university. Those who wish to organize and provide such sites or services should contact the Department of Athletics at 614-292-1848 for permission.
- Guests without football parking permits who are interested in setting up a tailgate can set them up in any Day-of-Game Parking Lot. Those parking spaces are available at 5 a.m. on the day of the game on a first-come, first-served basis. However, they may not take up vacant parking spaces or interfere with traffic flow within a parking lot.
- All guests on campus are expected to obey all state and local laws.
- Law enforcement agencies enforce all applicable laws, including state laws regarding the use and possession of alcohol. Citations will be issued and arrests made for violation of laws prohibiting open containers of alcohol in public areas, including university parking lots and garages. Persons engaging in underage drinking, public indecency, disorderly conduct and other violations are subject to arrest.
- Complete policies on the State of Ohio open container law and The Ohio State University Alcohol Policies are available.
Zero waste at Ohio Stadium
In 2011, Ohio State launched a zero waste stadium initiative as a demonstration of the university’s leadership in sustainability and to help educate the broader community on sustainability issues. By diverting 90 percent or more of the waste stream from the landfill, Ohio Stadium has become the largest stadium in the country to achieve zero waste. Waste is minimized at its source by choosing only food and vendor products that are compostable or recyclable, thus eliminating the need for trash cans. The Ohio Stadium provides recycling and composting bins for Buckeye fans to dispose of their waste, and Zero Waste Educators are positioned nearby to help guests determine the appropriate container for their materials. The university’s effort to become a zero waste campus is one of many ways in which the university is demonstrating sustainability leadership.
Parking
Visit http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets/m-footbl-parking.html for parking maps, shuttle services, construction updates and additional information.
Construction impact
Because of construction near Lane Avenue and High Street during the football season, fans wishing to park in garages located on High Street should use the following directions:
- If traveling south on SR-315:
Exit at North Broadway
Turn left onto Olentangy River Road
Turn left onto North Broadway
Turn right onto High Street
- If traveling north on SR-315:
Exit at Ackerman Road
Turn right onto Ackerman
Continue straight on Dodridge
Turn right onto High Street
Shuttle service to Ohio Stadium is available free of charge from six hours prior until one hour after the game. Shuttle locations include:
- West Campus (parking lots west of SR 315): pick-up at Mount Hall and drop-off in the lot near Sisson Hall by the pedestrian bridge
- Disability lot: pickup north of St. John Arena and drop-off on the east side of Ohio Stadium near Gate 22. This shuttle is ADA compliant and guests may request a wheelchair service upon entering Ohio Stadium.
Day-of-game parking is available in these lots and garages on a first-come, first-served basis. The charge is $15. Those holding current valid Ohio State parking permits may park in these lots free of charge. Shuttle service to Ohio Stadium is available free of charge for guests who park on west campus.
Disability parking is available in the lots north of St. John Arena and in the Lane Avenue Garage. The charge is $15. These areas are accessible – while space is available – from Lane Avenue. A current state-issued disability placard and registration must be displayed and the person who owns the placard must be in the vehicle to enter the parking area. (Officers may validate ownership of the placard at any time.) A shuttle will transport fans from the parking lots north of St. John Arena to the east side of Ohio Stadium near Gate 22. This shuttle will operate from six hours prior to kickoff until one hour after the game.
RV parking: All RV parking is sold in advance of game day through the Athletics Ticket Office, either as a season permit or a day-of-game permit. (SEE: http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets/m-footbl-parking.html.)
The season permit RV parking lot, located next to Bill Davis Stadium, is reserved for season RV permit holders only.
The day-of-game RV parking lot, located on Fred Taylor Drive across the street from Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, is reserved for those who purchase a day-of game RV permit in advance.
All RV parking spaces are numbered and pre-assigned. RV parking passes will not be sold on game days.Fans driving RVs who did not purchase a permit in advance may park at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
Bicycle parking
Fans may park bicycles at the bike racks near the Recreation and Physical Activity Center, 337 W. 17th Ave., which is adjacent to the southeast corner of the stadium. These bike racks are open to the public but not monitored by staff.
The “Pedal Instead” valet bicycle corral is located at the southeast corner of Woody Hayes Drive and the Olentangy bike path. It operates like a coat check for bicycles and is staffed by volunteers who keep bikes secure until the end of football games. SEE: http://yaybikes.com/programs/pedal-instead/.
