There will be new turf and a new design for Ohio Stadium field in 2022 season  

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The design of the new playing surface that will be installed in Ohio Stadium late this spring won’t feature a wild scarlet and gray paisley pattern or anything close, and to be honest, how could it? Ohio State football holds a noble place in the sport as one of the most tradition-rich and historic programs in college football history.

Ohio State ranks second all-time in wins and will play its 133rd season in 2022 in 100-year-old Ohio Stadium, which is nestled nicely along the banks of the Olentangy River as well as on the National Register of Historic Places.

So, you don’t mess too much with change on something of such historical significance. You tweak.

And that’s what the Ohio State Department of Athletics has done with the look of the new field that will be installed between April and June in Ohio Stadium. The same field and design will also replace the outdated indoor surface at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

The Department engaged Buckeye Nation in October 2021 to send in fan-inspired design concepts for the field. More than 1,300 designs were submitted and elements most favored by fans included the Block O at midfield (59 pct.), incorporating Buckeye leaves (48 pct.) and scarlet end zones (46 pct.). More information on fan submission is provided below.

Design Details:

All three of those elements, plus others favored by fans, are included in the new design that was ultimately determined by an internal panel. Details of the design include:

• The Block O at midfield has been emphasized with the outer strokes color adjusted to gray;
• Buckeye leaf decals replace the two X’s at the respective 35 yard line kickoff locations;
• Official OHIO STATE and BUCKEYES athletics word marks, consistent with those on other venue playing surfaces and on team uniforms and apparel, are in the two scarlet end zones;
• The outer boundaries of play have been color adjusted to gray to complement the scarlet end zones;
• Yard line numbering matches the block type font on the players’ uniforms; and
• The iconic black/white/scarlet striping pattern, found most prominently on Buckeye helmets, will have a home in each end zone along the end lines, matching the width of the goal posts.

Fans will see the new turf first on Sept. 3, when Ohio State hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in what will certainly be the marquee game of the first week of the 2022 college football season.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS