Ohio Stadium: My Favorite Venue. Period.
I'll warn you: I'm a little biased. I love this venue.
Amenities: It was voted the most comfortable, modernized park
in the Big Ten in 2002, despite being the second oldest. It has a great, wide, concession loaded lower concourse, and there
seem to be plenty of restrooms. The aisles are wide, and there are plenty of them. Views are excellent because of the curved
sides of the stadium. There is even a "B" deck which is shielded from the sun and rain. There is a club section and many suites.
Otherwise, the stadium is all bleachers. The scoreboard is NFL quality but lists more stats. There is a surprisingly
large number of ramps to the upper deck, and the arches make getting in and out easy, as do the double columns, which facilitate
better views from the middle level of seats.
History: Ohio State moved here in 1922. The capacity at the time
was just 66,000, although no major additions were done until 2001, while capacity slowly grew to 89,571. In 2001, the renovations
increased capacity to 101,568 through a lowering of the field, an addition to the top of the stadium, and new south stands.
Actually, it is one of the best renovations I have ever seen done to a stadium. When this place opened, it was seen as too
large, but by the 1950s, it was selling out often. Since then, Ohio State has been near the top of annual attendance lists,
selling out virtually every game. Here, Ohio State has won seven (or nine depending on what service is giving answers) national
championships and 29 Big Ten Championships along with hosting 5 Heisman Trophy winners including Archie Griffin, who won it
twice.
Location: On the banks of the Olentangy River, the area around
this stadium combines plenty of parking with the tranquility and natural-ness of being by a river and right in the University.
It is a great location for the World's Largest Tailgate party, and it is nice how the band plays at the basketball arena before
every game. Just east is the center of campus. Through the corners of the stadium, one can see the campus.
Atmosphere: This is probably the loudest venue in the Big Ten.
The upper deck traps the noise from below. This is a very intimidating park since it is tall and always filled. Since Jim
Tressel has arrived, this place has shaken its reputation for quiet fans, and now has some of the most fun, loud fans, and
the University is quickly making strides to make them nice fans too.
Aesthetics: If there has ever been a more beautiful, perfect football
stadium, I'd like to see it.
