Ohio State Reveals New Turf Design For Ohio Stadium

The Buckeyes are getting new turf at this offseason that will replace the one installed in 2014.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Feb 7, 2022 4:00 PM EST

Nearly four months after it began soliciting input from fans, the Ohio State athletic department announced on Monday afternoon the design for the new artificial turf at Ohio Stadium.

The Buckeyes – who will play their 100th season in the historic venue this fall – received more than 1,300 submissions, with 59 percent of the designs featuring a Block “O” at midfield.

That part of the design will remain, though it will now feature a gray outer stroke instead of black, like it had been since Ohio State returned to a turf field in 2007 and remained when the Buckeyes installed the current surface in 2014.

Another common theme in the fan-submitted designs was the application of Buckeye Leaf decals, which have been placed at the 35-yard lines of the new turf to represent the kickoff location. These spots were previously marked by an “X” on the field.

Ohio State will continue to use scarlet end zones, which were represented in 46 percent of the submissions, but with an updated font that matches the athletic department’s official wordmarks. This font can already be seen on some uniforms and playing surfaces, such as the Buckeyes’ basketball court.

The north end zone will continue to display “OHIO STATE,” while the south end zone will still say “BUCKEYES.” Both wordmarks are white with a gray stroke, while the current turf had a black stroke.

The out-of-bounds area from the 20-yard line in and the back of the end zone are now gray, replicating the design from Ohio State’s recent Rose Bowl win over Utah. The back of the end zone also features the Buckeyes’ iconic hemet stripe, matching the width of the goal posts.

The design is complete with two smaller details, including dark green turf between the 45-yard lines that alternates light green every five yards thereafter, as well as yard-line numbers that match the block font on Ohio State’s football uniforms.

Installation of the new turf will begin in June. Such a project typically takes two months to be completed, which means it will be more than ready for the season opener against Notre Dame on Sept. 3.

The design – which was ultimately determined by an internal panel – will also replace the outdated indoor surface at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Installation of that turf will begin in April, meanwhile.

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