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Ohio Stadium

Great stadium experience. We got tickets through the UI ticket office. They are nosebleeds, but at least you are not surrounded by a sea of red. Single games go on sale 6/24 through OSU’s ticket office, but I’m guessing those will go fast.

If you’re familiar with Airbnb, I’d go that route. If not, there are a lot of hotels in Columbus that are within a reasonable drive to the stadium.
 
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Stay at the Holiday Inn for HineyGate if that’s still a thing. 😜

Been out there twice for close losses but still had a great time. Most of their fans are nice and will treat you well since, you know, we are just Iowa is what I heard. It will be interesting to see if the woodshed beating Iowa put on them in 17 will have any payback aspect from them.

Enjoy the trip and always expect the L and if they win, enjoy it quietly with your friends and family. Once you leave the area then you can whoop it up.
 
Make sure you go to the skull session at the old basketball arena to hear the Ohio State marching band, and they usually allow the opposing teams marching band to play in concert with them. Nothing else like it in the country actually. Yes Buckeye fans are entitled, and some of them can be real assholes, but just an incredible experience. There’s not much else in that city of 3 million people than the Ohio State buckeyes and some good shopping malls and the best ice cream on the planet (Jeni’s Splendid), so you’re really getting the best of college football, and a city that makes the buckeyes their main passion and obsession.
 
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1991, the black helmet game after the campus shooting in Iowa City.
I was at that game. Bunch of us headed out from IC in a van. Heard about the shooting while on the road. Stopped to call our parents to say we were ok. Only a few of us from the group made it to the game. The rest went to a bar, never really understood that. Ended up sitting in the student section I think. I remember being around students anyway. Guy next to me had a hand-held TV and we watched a few replays on it together. Everyone was very cool to us.

After the win, us Hawk fans all went down to a single place in the stadium by the endzone and the players came up into the seats. We were all whooping it up together, hugging and slapping helmets. It was awesome.

That night was just a crazy party everywhere. I remember people walking around with 5 gallon paint buckets about 2/3 full of beer - from a keg I image. For like a quarter you dipped a cup in and got a glass. Move on the the next. Lots of couch fires - everywhere. I didn't know what was going on, but I guess that's a thing when they lose at home. Where did all these couches come from??

Great time. Great memory.
 
I was at that game. Bunch of us headed out from IC in a van. Heard about the shooting while on the road. Stopped to call our parents to say we were ok. Only a few of us from the group made it to the game. The rest went to a bar, never really understood that. Ended up sitting in the student section I think. I remember being around students anyway. Guy next to me had a hand-held TV and we watched a few replays on it together. Everyone was very cool to us.

After the win, us Hawk fans all went down to a single place in the stadium by the endzone and the players came up into the seats. We were all whooping it up together, hugging and slapping helmets. It was awesome.

That night was just a crazy party everywhere. I remember people walking around with 5 gallon paint buckets about 2/3 full of beer - from a keg I image. For like a quarter you dipped a cup in and got a glass. Move on the the next. Lots of couch fires - everywhere. I didn't know what was going on, but I guess that's a thing when they lose at home. Where did all these couches come from??

Great time. Great memory.
I had a bunch of friends and several family who went to Ohio State during that era, and let me tell you, that kind of thing happened win or lose. Truly crazy scene!
 
I had a bunch of friends and several family who went to Ohio State during that era, and let me tell you, that kind of thing happened win or lose. Truly crazy scene!
I've been to a ton of B1G games over the decades - including at Iowa - and was at the 2016 OSU-Michigan game. The loudest atmosphere I've ever heard in any CF game was when the OSU RB (Samuel ?) scored the winning TD in OT - you couldn't hear the person next to you and the stadium was shaking. It was unbelievable.

It just seems like everything revolves around OSU football in Columbus. Their suicide rate would sky rocket if OSU ever loses 3 or 4 games in a year
 
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I was there in 1995 when a young Iowa team (that ended up winning the Sun Bowl over Washington).was down 56-0 in the 2nd quarter. Eddie George, Terry Glenn and QB Bobby Hoying made Iowa look completely inept. John Cooper was kind to Hayden and the final score was 56-35.

Was also present for the 1997 game with Dwight/Banks sr. season. Had bad experiences with unruly fans. But like anywhere, there are good and bad elements anywhere you go.

As a Hawk that lived in Ohio, the OSU fandom could be insufferable at times. The November of 2017 game in Iowa City was truly a dream come true day.

Like all the the other comments, Columbus is a good city and OSU football is bigger than anything in the world out there. After a weekend of seeing what huge business OSU football is, it will make you appreciate how well Iowa competes as the smallest public in the Big Ten.
 
One good option if you can get a room is to stay at one of the hotels on Olentangy River Road / Riverview Dr and then walk to the game, it's about a mile and a half.
 
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I was there in 1995 when a young Iowa team (that ended up winning the Sun Bowl over Washington).was down 56-0 in the 2nd quarter. Eddie George, Terry Glenn and QB Bobby Hoying made Iowa look completely inept. John Cooper was kind to Hayden and the final score was 56-35.

Was also present for the 1997 game with Dwight/Banks sr. season. Had bad experiences with unruly fans. But like anywhere, there are good and bad elements anywhere you go.

As a Hawk that lived in Ohio, the OSU fandom could be insufferable at times. The November of 2017 game in Iowa City was truly a dream come true day.

Like all the the other comments, Columbus is a good city and OSU football is bigger than anything in the world out there. After a weekend of seeing what huge business OSU football is, it will make you appreciate how well Iowa competes as the smallest public in the Big Ten.
Definitely worth a trip to C-bus if you haven't been there. They are the Death Star, and they know it. On a certain level, I respect that they have the resources to be great and are committed to being so, from the administration to the team. 100+k people in stadium, great talent that just overwhelms teams over 4 quarters.

1991 game in person, won't ever forget. Buckeyes returned a blocked extra point for 2 points. Long Alan Cross TD, Matt Rodgers got hurt I think. Leroy Smith dominated with sacks.
 
I sat solo in the student section (4 of us bought individuals with whatever we could find). Lot's of razzing as expected and nothing too terrible. Stadium is cool.
 
One good option if you can get a room is to stay at one of the hotels on Olentangy River Road / Riverview Dr and then walk to the game, it's about a mile and a half.

Agreed. I made my reservation 6 weeks ago at a SpringHill Suites on Olentangy River Road. Just over a mile to the stadium.
Haven’t missed an OSU game since 89 and was at the 91 game where Leroy Smith wreaked havoc on the bucks.
Always a great time in Columbus. Just sad there is no Hineygate party like back in the 80s and 90s.
 
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Make sure you go to the skull session at the old basketball arena to hear the Ohio State marching band, and they usually allow the opposing teams marching band to play in concert with them. Nothing else like it in the country actually. Yes Buckeye fans are entitled, and some of them can be real assholes, but just an incredible experience. There’s not much else in that city of 3 million people than the Ohio State buckeyes and some good shopping malls and the best ice cream on the planet (Jeni’s Splendid), so you’re really getting the best of college football, and a city that makes the buckeyes their main passion and obsession.
No need to exaggerate to support some other great points. Columbus metro area is 2.1m.
 
F*** Ohio Stadium............and their little football program too.
Even though I’m from Ohio and have many family and friends who went to Ohio State, I have that feeling to for the most part. It is a colossal scene and something definitely fun to experience, but it is quite pathetic that the buckeyes are pretty much the only game in town in the metro area of 3 million people. What a Friggin Boring place Columbus, OH is. All the sprawl and traffic and lack of public parks and in general all the bad aspects of a big crowded urban area, but culturally and in terms of quality of life and entertainment, it’s no more significant than Des Moines. Cincinnati is SO much more interesting. And Cleveland has much more truly world class stuff, plus nature, parks, beaches, etc and especially culturally (art, music, theater) than Columbus and Cincinnati combined.

but I have to say, watching script Ohio or a marching band that is a religion to its members, is a sight to behold.
 
Haven't been to Ohio Stadium since the renovations. Back when they still had the track around the field, I wasn't particularly impressed. And our seats were tucked far back under the overhang, so it felt claustrophobic. And after the game, with over 80,000 people scattering all over everywhere, the Columbus Police threatened to arrest us for jaywalking. So my experience @ OSU hasn't been that great. 55-17 is especially sweet.

BTW: I see the school has managed, somehow, to trademark "the." One more reason to hate "the" Buckeyes.
 
I was at that 1991 game as well. Thought it wasn’t going to be played after the shooting in IC. Was able to pick up a couple F-IowaT shirts just outside the stadium at deep discount just afterwards and whooped it up real good in front of all the sad faces. “F us now Buckeyes”. Thought they were going to kill me for that.
 
Haven't been to Ohio Stadium since the renovations. Back when they still had the track around the field, I wasn't particularly impressed. And our seats were tucked far back under the overhang, so it felt claustrophobic. And after the game, with over 80,000 people scattering all over everywhere, the Columbus Police threatened to arrest us for jaywalking. So my experience @ OSU hasn't been that great. 55-17 is especially sweet.

BTW: I see the school has managed, somehow, to trademark "the." One more reason to hate "the" Buckeyes.
First it was to differentiate themselves from Ohio university.
Then it just became its own thing.

the problem in this dumb legal system we have is that IP can be squatted on, like a word. It’s stupid. Nowhere else in the world does such “legal” corporate stupidity exist.
 
Not a fan but great experience. NOTHING beats kinnick in the big ten. It’s amazing how spoiled we are.

next to kinnick my second best has to be Williams arena for bball/wrestling. For football it’s Philly for the army navy game.


kinnick night rules football. A&M game day after thanksgiving against Texas was fun. Been to every stadium in big ten except Maryland and Iowa night by far rules.
 
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Not a fan but great experience. NOTHING beats kinnick in the big ten. It’s amazing how spoiled we are.

next to kinnick my second best has to be Williams arena for bball/wrestling. For football it’s Philly for the army navy game.


kinnick night rules football. A&M game day after thanksgiving against Texas was fun. Been to every stadium in big ten except Maryland and Iowa night by far rules.
Don't mean to rain on your parade, but I've always thought Williams Arena was a tad overrated and I'm a traditionalist over modernism in sports in a lot of aspects.....imho.

Of course it could also be that I just don't like the greasy grimy Golden Gophers. ;)
 
What do you want to do? If you are just in town for the game. It will probably be a 3:30 game
Many Options -
Grandview // OSU Area
Arena District // CBJ Hockey
Bridge Park // Dublin Entertainment
Germain Village
Brewery District
Columbus Downtown
Easton Entertainment
Polaris Entertainment
 
My personal favorite for food is happy hour at the Pearl in the short north on high street. 40 years in enemy territory. Was at the downpour game when Long threw 5 pics. Marc Cook was an awesome game. Would have gone for it when we took a knee vs Tressel. Some real stinkers I have tried to forget. Wife and daughter are buckeyes. Son has better genes and is a hawk. No pics
 
No need to exaggerate to support some other great points. Columbus metro area is 2.1m.
My daughter and son-in-law live in Licking Co - just east of Columbus - and I visit them every year or so. Just saw a report that estimated the metro at 2.4 million and city at 950,000. I was there in the 1960s when it probably wasn't half its size now. It's been one of the fastest growing U.S, metro areas for a few decades now.

Like it or not, that's one of the many reasons why OSU recruits so well. The OSU campus is just a couple of miles north from downtown Columbus and students / athletes can walk to the bars and nightlife that very few other college towns can offer - especially appealing to kids that come from an inner-city background.
 
My daughter and son-in-law live in Licking Co - just east of Columbus - and I visit them every year or so. Just saw a report that estimated the metro at 2.4 million and city at 950,000. I was there in the 1960s when it probably wasn't half its size now. It's been one of the fastest growing U.S, metro areas for a few decades now.

Like it or not, that's one of the many reasons why OSU recruits so well. The OSU campus is just a couple of miles north from downtown Columbus and students / athletes can walk to the bars and nightlife that very few other college towns can offer - especially appealing to kids that come from an inner-city background.
Sorry to exaggerate. I assumed cbus was 3M by now but it’s only 2.1

Cleveland metro is 3.6M

Columbus is sprawling out and there is some fun stuff, but it’s just a bigger Des Moines, and just as insignificant and boooooring culturally. Some nice bars though. All people talk about there is the buckeyes and breweries. Not much else going on. So definitely go for a game day- at least there is something epic to do.
 
Sorry to exaggerate. I assumed cbus was 3M by now but it’s only 2.1

Cleveland metro is 3.6M

Columbus is sprawling out and there is some fun stuff, but it’s just a bigger Des Moines, and just as insignificant and boooooring culturally. Some nice bars though. All people talk about there is the buckeyes and breweries. Not much else going on. So definitely go for a game day- at least there is something epic to do.
No apology needed for an exaggerating. I'm familiar with both cities

Actually, there's no comparison now between Cleveland and Columbus. If you go to Wiki, the current population for both metro areas was right around 2.i million in 2020 with the city populations of 372,000 for Cleveland and 905,000 for Columbus. In 1960, it was 876,000 for Cleveland and 471,000 for Columbus. There's a reason that Columbus is booming - it's just a nice place to live (for a big city) and business is also booming there. Cleveland is just a sh!thole.
 
No apology needed for an exaggerating. I'm familiar with both cities

Actually, there's no comparison now between Cleveland and Columbus. If you go to Wiki, the current population for both metro areas was right around 2.i million in 2020 with the city populations of 372,000 for Cleveland and 905,000 for Columbus. In 1960, it was 876,000 for Cleveland and 471,000 for Columbus. There's a reason that Columbus is booming - it's just a nice place to live (for a big city) and business is also booming there. Cleveland is just a sh!thole.

You swear and troll like a provincial rural Ohioan. Classy!

Your data are wrong. Cleveland metro is almost 1.5M larger


I’ve lived and worked in both cities, for years, and spent a ton of time in cinci too.

Cleveland is levels above cbus in terms of quality of life- parks, the lake and beaches, and esp world class culture, from arguably the best orchestra in the world and one of the great art museums in world etc. university circle is incredible: more science medicine and culture than any square mile on the planet plus. The flats. Ohio City. Tremont. Lakewood. Playhouse square.

Columbus has maaaybe one decent metro park - highbanks. Others are ridiculously crowded, like Antrim, which boasts being 100 feet from a major freeway. what is common about cbus is middling people telling themselves how great their bars and malls and office parks are. And a river that’s smaller than the Iowa in Iowa City. So boring. half of the “culture” in Columbus funded by pedophile and best friend and partner of Jeffrey Epstein, L Brands CEO Wexner (owns Victoria’s Secret, etc). Disgraceful.

Little brother complex relative to Cleveland and cinci. Just never will have the character. Like Des Moines or Springfield or Albany or many other boring state capitals, it was plopped there because central for lazy carriage riding politicians in 19th century to meet in the middle. Dumb location and nothing area.

cincinnati is a lot more fun and interesting and cultured than Columbus too. Great orchestra and good music scene down there. Several good museums and lots of history. And unlike Columbus creek called the scioto “river”, cinci actually has a legit navigable dramatic river, and hills, and character and parks and diversity, though it’s def southern oriented in its outlook - less tolerant. (The NRA meeting that made the NRA into a gun lobby in 70s happened in cinci; mapplethorpe anti gay art scandal in 80s also cinci, etc. yet republicans nominated trump in Cleveland, in middle of bastion of blue city. Cinci always more conservative than The Land though. But otherwise Love cinci!

honest assessment of an ex Ohioan.
 
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Went to the 97 game there, their fans were fine if somewhat indifferent. I thought the drive through liquor stores were interesting. I smoked a joint in a porta potty inside the stadium at halftime. Made the loss a bit more tolerable.
 
You swear and troll like a provincial rural Ohioan. Classy!

Your data are wrong. Cleveland metro is almost 1.5M larger


I’ve lived and worked in both cities, for years, and spent a ton of time in cinci too.

Cleveland is levels above cbus in terms of quality of life- parks, the lake and beaches, and esp world class culture, from arguably the best orchestra in the world and one of the great art museums in world etc. university circle is incredible: more science medicine and culture than any square mile on the planet plus. The flats. Ohio City. Tremont. Lakewood. Playhouse square.

Columbus has maaaybe one decent metro park - highbanks. Others are ridiculously crowded, like Antrim, which boasts being 100 feet from a major freeway. what is common about cbus is middling people telling themselves how great their bars and malls and office parks are. And a river that’s smaller than the Iowa in Iowa City. So boring. half of the “culture” in Columbus funded by pedophile and best friend and partner of Jeffrey Epstein, L Brands CEO Wexner (owns Victoria’s Secret, etc). Disgraceful.

Little brother complex relative to Cleveland and cinci. Just never will have the character. Like Des Moines or Springfield or Albany or many other boring state capitals, it was plopped there because central for lazy carriage riding politicians in 19th century to meet in the middle. Dumb location and nothing area.

cincinnati is a lot more fun and interesting and cultured than Columbus too. Great orchestra and good music scene down there. Several good museums and lots of history. And unlike Columbus creek called the scioto “river”, cinci actually has a legit navigable dramatic river, and hills, and character and parks and diversity, though it’s def southern oriented in its outlook - less tolerant. (The NRA meeting that made the NRA into a gun lobby in 70s happened in cinci; mapplethorpe anti gay art scandal in 80s also cinci, etc. yet republicans nominated trump in Cleveland, in middle of bastion of blue city. Cinci always more conservative than The Land though. But otherwise Love cinci!

honest assessment of an ex Ohioan.
Wrong. You're including Canton (65 miles away)in the Cleveland metro area ? Does Columbus get to include Dayton (70 miles)- Springfield - and cities to its east - in its population stats? I took my metro stats from Wiki - try looking it up. Oh, and there's a reason Ohioans call Cleveland "The Mistake on the Lake." End of story
 
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You swear and troll like a provincial rural Ohioan. Classy!

Your data are wrong. Cleveland metro is almost 1.5M larger


I’ve lived and worked in both cities, for years, and spent a ton of time in cinci too.

Cleveland is levels above cbus in terms of quality of life- parks, the lake and beaches, and esp world class culture, from arguably the best orchestra in the world and one of the great art museums in world etc. university circle is incredible: more science medicine and culture than any square mile on the planet plus. The flats. Ohio City. Tremont. Lakewood. Playhouse square.

Columbus has maaaybe one decent metro park - highbanks. Others are ridiculously crowded, like Antrim, which boasts being 100 feet from a major freeway. what is common about cbus is middling people telling themselves how great their bars and malls and office parks are. And a river that’s smaller than the Iowa in Iowa City. So boring. half of the “culture” in Columbus funded by pedophile and best friend and partner of Jeffrey Epstein, L Brands CEO Wexner (owns Victoria’s Secret, etc). Disgraceful.

Little brother complex relative to Cleveland and cinci. Just never will have the character. Like Des Moines or Springfield or Albany or many other boring state capitals, it was plopped there because central for lazy carriage riding politicians in 19th century to meet in the middle. Dumb location and nothing area.

cincinnati is a lot more fun and interesting and cultured than Columbus too. Great orchestra and good music scene down there. Several good museums and lots of history. And unlike Columbus creek called the scioto “river”, cinci actually has a legit navigable dramatic river, and hills, and character and parks and diversity, though it’s def southern oriented in its outlook - less tolerant. (The NRA meeting that made the NRA into a gun lobby in 70s happened in cinci; mapplethorpe anti gay art scandal in 80s also cinci, etc. yet republicans nominated trump in Cleveland, in middle of bastion of blue city. Cinci always more conservative than The Land though. But otherwise Love cinci!

honest assessment of an ex Ohioan.
This is comical. I currently live in Delaware OH (just north of Columbus) and worked outside of Cleveland for years and to say that "the mistake on the lake" has it over Columbus is ridiculous. And 3.5 million metro for Cleveland? Both metro areas are somewhere between 2 and 2.5 million. You mentioned Cincinnati which, I agree, stacks up well with Columbus. But Cleveland? You're bias against Columbus - for whatever reason - is obvious. Central Ohio is a great place to live.
 
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