Ohio State is pulling Buckeye Nation into the conversation about a possible Horseshoe makeover, from private “living room” boxes and expanded club areas to larger video boards and refreshed concourses. The athletic department plans to send a detailed survey to season-ticket holders and other stakeholders to gauge interest before committing to any changes.
As reported by Sports Business Journal, which cited The Columbus Dispatch, the university has hired sports consulting firm CSL to run a feasibility survey for season-ticket holders and key stakeholders. The study is described as the most wide-ranging review of potential Ohio Stadium upgrades in at least a decade and will test fan appetite for an expanded set of premium seating and amenity options.
Ohio State has already started rolling out premium offerings, with the 1922 Club and a south end zone premium seating project scheduled to debut for the 2026 season. Those spaces will feature members-only dining, all-inclusive food and beverage, and field-level chairback seats. Ohio State Athletics notes that initial deposits for the new premium packages were snapped up quickly, a sign of strong demand from boosters and long-time season-ticket holders.
What Is In The Fan Survey
The questionnaire lays out a long list of concepts for fans to rate, including living-room-style four-person boxes, loge boxes, a patio club with entertainment and upgraded concessions, ultra-luxury small-group suites with in-box amenities and catering, and enhanced club seats with lounge access. It also asks about infrastructure priorities such as new LED fascia boards on the east and west sides of the stadium, a north-end video board and renovated concourse restrooms, according to WKYC. All of those ideas would sit alongside the already announced south end zone chairback seats and suites.
Why Ohio State Is Pushing Upgrades
Athletic director Ross Bjork has cast the effort as equal parts catching up on aging amenities and shoring up revenue. He told The Columbus Dispatch, in comments reported by Sports Business Journal, “We’ve got to keep up.” The department is juggling rising costs, including new revenue-sharing payments to athletes following recent antitrust settlements, and is using the survey to see what fans will support at different price points.
Who Will Get The Survey And What Comes Next
The university says the Ohio Stadium survey will go to season-ticket holders and other key stakeholders, and a similar questionnaire is planned for season-ticket holders at the Schottenstein Center, per The Columbus Dispatch and WKYC. Officials stress that no specific projects have been approved yet; this round of outreach is an early step to collect data on fan preferences and price sensitivity before any design, financing or construction moves forward.
“Zero decisions have been made,” Kevin Griffin told The Columbus Dispatch, adding that the university is “really just listening” to fans at this stage. If past renovations are a guide, major work at the Shoe is likely to be funded largely through private capital and premium-seat sales rather than student fees or direct university dollars; Ohio State notes that its 1999-2001 renovation was largely paid for through suite and club leases, according to Ohio State Athletics.
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