Ohio State Cancels Series vs. Washington; USC & UCLA Matchups Incoming?
Ohio State football will be making a change to its schedule for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The Buckeyes have officially called off their home-and-home series against Washington in 2024 and 2025. Ohio State was expected to travel to Husky Stadium to face the Pac-12 program on Sept. 14, 2024, while the Huskies were slated to make the trip to Ohio Stadium for a Sept. 13, 2025 showdown.
“We initiated the cancellation,” Gene Smith, Senior Vice President, and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director, said. “I have the utmost respect for the University of Washington and for Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen, and this was a very difficult call to make."
The news comes on the cusp of two new programs joining the Big Ten Conference in 2024, USC and UCLA.
Both the Trojans and Bruins will leave the Pac-12 following the end of the 2023 calendar season to join the Big Ten, making the conference one of two 16-program leagues next fall.
Ohio State's 2024 schedule will not be finalized until October of this year, with either USC or UCLA conceivably being added to the Buckeyes conference slate.
The Buckeyes currently only have six games on their schedule for the 2023 season and three scheduled games for 2024. Southern Mississippi and Western Michigan are both expected to visit Columbus on Aug. 31 and Sept. 21 in 2024, respectively.
With the news of the series cancellation, Smith stated that Ohio State will pay the $500,000 penalty before the start of the 2025 season. Smith also stated that the Buckeyes will now look to add another opponent to their home schedule to bring the total to 12 games.
"We will add an eighth home game for the 2024 season, affording us the opportunity to have the funding to pay the penalty and guarantee for that eighth opponent," Smith said.
Ohio State and Washington have met 11 times dating back to 1957. The Buckeyes currently lead the overall series 9-3, with their latest coming in a 28-23 victory in the Rose Bowl in 2019 under Ryan Day.
The Buckeyes will need to add one non-conference home game in 2024 on either Sept. 7 or Sept. 14, and a non-conference home game in 2025 on either Sept. 6 or Sept. 13.
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