These tips for your first trip at an Ohio State Football game were something I learned on my first time to The Shoe. I have been a lifelong fan of the OSU Buckeyes. My dad graduated from OSU many years ago and we were raised as fans. While I wasn’t a big football person as a kid, I grew more interested as I got older. Especially, when I was in the marching band in high school and would sit through the games. I loved watching OSU games with my dad in our living room just to be there and share the time with him. Being in marching band myself, I loved watching the script Ohio and watching TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band In The Land) play. 

Now it was my turn to go finally. My husband has been determined to get me to a game and it finally worked out. We planned a long weekend to head down there for the game. It was a noon game so I planned our Friday and Saturday so we could explore more of Columbus. We’ve been to Columbus before but typically when we go it’s to see family that live in the area or a preplanned event. 

I went on a research kick to explore Columbus on Friday then our Saturday was planned for the game. We both researched what you can take and the rules of the stadium and the times of the events prior to kickoff. Here is what we learned.

Wear Sunscreen

Even if you are going to a night game, you should wear sunscreen. I’d even suggest it if it is a cold day for the game. Being outside for that amount of time means the sun will hit you at some point. My husbands nose was burnt and I was a little pink. I did put on SPF  before we left our rental so that helped. 

Check the Weather

Make sure you check the weather for the day.  You’ll want to dress for the weather but you are allowed to take blankets in if it is cold out. It was 90 and sunny the day we went so I wore a t-shirt with bicycle shorts. It was nice and light for the hot day. 

Wear Comfortable Shoes

You’ll be walking and standing a lot for the day. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes that won’t hurt your feet. My husband and I both wore Oofos brand sandals and they are the most comfortable pair we’ve owned. I’m glad we did, with the heat it was nice to have them not in socks. 

Have a Hat and/or Sunglasses

Most of the stadium is not covered so if you are not in the few rows that are covered then you will benefit from a hat or sunglasses. I didn’t realize until the morning of the game that the hat i brought was broken at the back strap. Thankfully, there was a Buckeye clothing store next to where we had breakfast so I was able to pick up a nice hat before the game. I feel that sunglasses are self-explanatory, especially if you have sensitive eyes. 

Fan or Hand Warmers (weather pending)

I did have a small handheld fan that was in my beach bag so I snagged that when packing. It fits perfectly in the little purse I brought for the game and came in handy. There were some parts during the game that did not have a lot of wind so it was useful to have. Also, if it is cold out the hand warmers would be beneficial to keep warm.

Stay Hydrated

Stay hydrated! I’ve never been to a stadium before that had refill stations instead of having to continually go to concessions but the Shoe has them! It was great!! We both bought 1 water bottle and then were able to refill it multiple times to stay hydrated. 

FanFest

There are a lot of things that they have scheduled before the start of the game. FanFest is one of them. They have different tents that you can visit to win different prizes, stages that have bands playing before the game, and lots of food trucks. 

Skull Session

The Skull Session is something that has been happening for years at OSU. This is pretty much a pep rally for OSU. It is held in St. John Arena which is the old basketball stadium.  It is awesome though. Watching TBDBITL play some songs and getting the crowd pumped for the game. As a former band geek, it was great to watch all the students play and have such a blast.  The Buckeyes and coach even came down to give a pep talk to all the fans in the stadium. You don’t want to miss the Skull Session.

TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band In The Land)

This for me was a much see. The band enters and they go into the script Ohio. This is something I’ve watched on tv for years and I finally got to see it in person. We were able to watch the drum major and sousaphone go over and dot the “i”. There was so much excitement with the band entering. 

Buckeye Entrance

After TBDBITL does the script Ohio and their pregame set, it’s time to welcome the Buckeyes onto the field. The stadium is electric with cheers and excitement. They had their fog at the entrance and ran onto the field. 

Chants

My husband has told me so many times about the chants and the electric feeling the stadium has during the games. It did not disappoint. The jumping and chants had everyone out of their seats. Brutus had different sides of the stadium yelling O, another H, another I and the last O. 

We were playing a non conference game so it was a bit of a blowout score wise. I loved going to see the game and just enjoy the atmosphere. We were so hot and tired by the end of the game, when we got back to our rental we both took naps. After, we got ready and went out again. 

Just a few more things…

Just a few other things to think about when going to a game. If you are staying the night, we found it easiest to get a place that was walking distance to the stadium. Neither of us wanted to deal with sitting in traffic to leave after the game. We rented an airbnb that was in off campus housing. It was a studio apartment and was great for what we needed and only a 20 minute walk to the stadium. I didn’t want to miss anything on game day so we didn’t want to deal with parking. 

Consider the time schedule of when the events take place before kickoff. How early you want to arrive and if there is anything specific you want to experience. 

I can’t wait to go back for another game and to take our little guy when he gets a little older. This was such a fun experience and my dad was so excited I was finally going to a game. I did make a joke that the area probably looks a little different from when he graduated. Hopefully these tips for your first game will help you prepare for your game! If you have any tips of your own, please share them below! I’d love to hear about your experience. 

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