Buckeyes unveil new, fan-driven turf design for Horseshoe
COLUMBUS — Ohio State was due for new turf in the Horseshoe.
What the Buckeyes didn’t need were new traditions or a different look in the college football cathedral.
There was an opportunity this summer to emphasize more of what has made the Ohio State brand so iconic over the years, though. And with a fresh field set for installation over the summer, the program sought out input from the fan base as part of the interior redesign on the playing surface in Ohio Stadium.
The end result will be on public display in September when the Buckeyes kick off the season against Notre Dame. But Ohio State offered a sneak peek on Monday as it showed off the tweaked elements in a mockup shared with media ahead of the scheduled installation in June and July.
What’s in store for the new-look field at the Horseshoe? Here’s how Ohio State described the elements in a school release:
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- The Block O at midfield has been emphasized with the outer stroke color adjusted to gray
- Buckeye leaf decals replace the two X’s at the respective 35 yard line kickoff locations;
- Official OHIO STATE and BUCKEYES athletics word marks, consistent with those on other venue playing surfaces and on team uniforms and apparel, are in the two scarlet end zones;
- The outer boundaries of play have been color adjusted to gray to complement the scarlet end zones;
- Yard-line numbering matches the block type font on the players’ uniforms; and
- The iconic black/white/scarlet striping pattern, found most prominently on Buckeye helmets, will have a home in each end zone along the end lines, matching the width of the goal posts.
The Buckeyes seemed to have footing issues last season as the turf showed plenty of wear, but they were always scheduled for an upgrade this year with the previous field at the end of its lifespan.
Ohio State will also be installing a new field for the indoor facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center — and it will share the new redesign as the game turf in the Horseshoe.
