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Ohio Stadium
Undeniably one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of athletics, Ohio Stadium is now in its 80th year as the home of Ohio State football.
Built in 1922, "The Horseshoe" has just undergone an extensive three-year renovation, preservation and expansion project that will ensure its longevity for years to come.
With 101,568 seats now closely surrounding the playing field, this grand old structure, standing tall along the banks of the Olentangy River, is at the same time both intimate and intimidating.
Unique in design with its double-decked horseshoe look, Ohio Stadium is listed in the National Registry of Historic Buildings. And for the more than 34 million fans that have passed through its gates, there is nothing like a Saturday afternoon in Columbus with all the pageantry and fanfare that surrounds every Ohio State game. That is why year-in and year-out, the Buckeyes rank among the national attendance leaders.
As a result of the recent renovation, there are a number of changes, including all new bench seats in the upper half of "A" Deck and all of "B" Deck. The three rows of Hospitality Suites and the Press Box on the west side are new, as are the 19 rows of seats on the northwest corner of "C" Deck. Additionally, the concourses have been widened in both "B" and "C" Decks, and the numbers of restrooms and concession stands on both levels have increased dramatically.
Earlier changes were equally striking, beginning with the lowering of the actual field 14'6" at the completion of the 1999 season. By the following fall, a new scoreboard and a permanent South Stands were in place. So, too, were the completely new "AA" Deck and 19 new rows of seats on the east side of "C" Deck.
It was truly an amazing 12 months of dedication by the more than 750 construction workers involved in the project. Their tireless work and pride helped make Phase II (the second year) a reality.
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