Scarlet Sunrise: How does Ohio State spring game attendance compare to other major programs?
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How does Ohio State spring game attendance compare to other major programs?
Ohio State drew 75,122 fans for its annual spring game this past weekend. That was the program’s highest attendance total for the intrasquad exhibition since 2017, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The Buckeyes faithful packed Ohio Stadium to get an early glimpse of the 2023 iteration of Ohio State, a perennial national title contender that’s coming off a heartbreaking College Football Playoff semifinal defeat and entering the fifth year of Ryan Day’s run as head coach.
So how does Ohio State’s spring game attendance compare to that of other major programs so far this spring? Well, let’s see. Here are some numbers from fellow big-time schools across the country:
- Ohio State: 75,122
- Michigan: *18,750
- Georgia: *54,458
- Penn State: 63,000
- Tennessee: 58,473
- South Carolina: 51,000
- Clemson: 50,000
- USC: 25,213
- Florida State: 33,107
Note: schools with * are undergoing construction in their stadiums, which limited spring game attendance.
Of those nine schools, Ohio State included, the Buckeyes were the only team to host more than 65,000 fans so far this spring season. Now, of course, there are some factors at play. For instance, Ohio State lucked out with beautiful weather. Plus, Georgia usually tops the 70,000 mark, but stadium construction curtailed attendance for “G-Day.”
Still, the feat is commendable for the Buckeyes, especially considering it was well known that half of the quarterback competition — redshirt freshman Devin Brown — was sidelined for the exhibition.
Yes, Ohio State has the third-biggest stadium, in terms of capacity, in college football, but the Buckeyes filled 73.1% of the Horseshoe’s seats. That’s quite the draw for a spring game.
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Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is dealing with some rumors late in the pre-draft process that may or may not affect his stock ever so slightly. It’s hard to tell — after all, it is smokescreen season.
But now’s a better time than ever to remind everyone why Stroud, previously the projected No. 1 pick, is still deserving of that selection.
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Ohio State, West Virginia hoops set for late December clash in Cleveland
The Ohio State-West Virginia rivalry is coming back to Cleveland on Dec. 30. As was the case during the 2019-20 season, the Buckeyes will face the Mountaineers in a neutral site game. The venue hasn’t been announced yet, but the previous meeting took place in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It will be the 18th all-time meeting between Ohio State and WVU. The Buckeyes lead the series, 9-8, but the Mountaineers have won eight of the teams’ last nine meetings.
The teams have played just three times since the turn of the century, and just once since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. The Buckeyes and Mountaineers squared off every season from 1992-93 to 1995-96 and, before that, every season from 1977-78 to 1982-83.
For more details on the series, as well as the upcoming matchup, go here.
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