Ohio Stadium: Guide for Visiting Fans

Columbus doesn't have a metro or light rail, so your options are bus, car, or rideshare. The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is the regional public transit provider for greater Columbus and Central Ohio, providing nearly 19 million passenger trips annually. COTA runs a seasonal "Bus it to the Buckeyes" service specifically for Ohio State University football games at Ohio Stadium. Bus lines 1 and 102 also stop near the stadium, with the nearest bus stop at W Lane Ave & Olentangy River Rd — just a 2-minute walk away.

Flying in? John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) is 12 miles from Ohio Stadium, with a road distance of about 8.9 miles. By car or rideshare, the trip takes approximately 16 minutes in normal traffic — budget 30-45 minutes on game day. COTA's AirConnect service offers airport service between John Glenn Columbus International Airport and downtown Columbus every 30 minutes, seven days a week , from which you can connect to campus-bound routes.

Driving in from outside Columbus? Ohio Stadium is accessible from I-71 and Route 315 — GPS users should enter "411 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210." Rideshare is convenient for drop-off on the north side of campus near Lane Avenue, well before road closures tighten around the stadium. Woody Hayes Drive will be closed between Cannon and Tuttle in both directions to all vehicles approximately four hours prior to kickoff for pedestrian safety , so account for that when setting your rideshare destination.

Day-of-game parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis on football Saturdays. All football parking lots and garages open at 5 a.m. Day-of-game prices this year are $60 at the Premier lots (Ag Administration and Vivian), $40 at the Proximity garages (Neil Ave. and Arps) and $30 at Non-Proximity locations. Credit card or smartphone payment only is accepted at all public parking locations — no cash.

For big games, the close-in West Stadium lot fills fast. Fans who do not have parking permits are encouraged to park in the Buckeye Lots, West Campus, or High Street garages. A smarter move for away fans: park farther out on West Campus and use the free shuttle. A complimentary guest shuttle runs from the Mount Hall Loop on West Campus (near Lane Avenue and Carmack Road) to Coffey Road Park on the western side of the Olentangy River, near the Woody Hayes Bridge — guests can walk across the bridge to the stadium. This shuttle operates from six hours prior to kickoff until one hour after the game ends. Plan to get in a lot no later than two hours before kickoff. All guests should anticipate a wait time of 60-90 minutes post-game to clear parking lots and garages.

The Short North Arts District is your best base of operations. It's about a mile and a half south of the stadium on High Street — close enough to walk to pregame bars, close enough to grab a rideshare to the stadium without drama, and vibrant enough that you won't be bored if you arrive Friday. Hotel prices in this area spike sharply on game weekends — expect $150-300/night for a decent room; book weeks out for rivalry games.

The University District itself (along North High Street, immediately adjacent to campus) has hotels like the Graduate Columbus and the Blackwell Inn, both of which put you within walking distance of the stadium. Bistro 2110 at the Blackwell Inn offers one of the finer restaurants in Columbus and is complemented by its view of historic Ohio Stadium. If budget is a priority, downtown Columbus hotels (about 3 miles away) offer more competitive rates, and the CBUS free downtown circulator makes the Short North easy to access from there. Avoid booking in the suburbs — you will hate your egress experience.

The O on Lane — Located directly north of Ohio Stadium, this bar has location on lock. Whether you're posting up for all four quarters or just pregaming before heading into the Shoe, it's got the energy, the pizza, and the proximity you're looking for — it's the kind of bar where you can feel the turf from your barstool. As an away fan, you'll want to arrive early and be low-key about your allegiances here.

Adriatico's — If you could bottle the essence of Ohio State and serve it with a side of Sicilian-style pizza, you'd get Adriatico's. This campus staple has been feeding students and fans for decades. The thick-crust pies are iconic, the beer is cold, and the TVs are plentiful — with a gelato bar and relatively chill vibes, perfect if you want to avoid rowdy crowds but still be in the heart of the action.

Pint House (Short North) — If you want to be in the middle of the Columbus nightlife scene on game day, Pint House is your move. With more than 75 beers on rotation, an open-air front patio, and buzzing energy, it gets packed, so show up early or prepare to do that awkward hover-and-hope for a table. The Short North location keeps you slightly removed from the heaviest campus crowds.

Parlay Sporting Club + Kitchen (570 N. High St.) — Parlay includes a full dinner menu, over 100 TVs, and two patios — it was named OpenTable's "Diners' Choice Award" winner in 2024. Private booths with TV control, a game room, and massive screens make it full visual overload — the food is a serious step up with Wagyu Brisket flatbreads and jumbo wings. A solid neutral-territory option where you can watch your team without being in enemy-flag territory.

While nearby spots offer great options, the stadium itself also serves up plenty of delicious choices.

Levy Restaurants handles concessions and offers fan favorites such as hot dogs, bratwurst, popcorn, pretzels, and nachos, alongside local fare like Hot Chicken Takeover and Barrio. The standout local partnership is Donatos Pizza, a Columbus institution, which serves individual pizzas and subs inside the stadium. Donatos cheese and pepperoni pizzas are priced at $11 for the 2025 season.

For 2025, new additions include smoked brisket, a Buckeye Bowl cart, and Italian hot dogs — the lineup of food choices has expanded. The all-beef hot dog, soft pretzels, and regular nachos are each 50 cents more than last season. Expect to pay around $5–6 for a standard hot dog, $10–12 for a loaded specialty item, and $10–14 for a domestic or craft beer. Cashless operations are utilized throughout Ohio Stadium, including for concessions — so leave your cash in your pocket. Buy a souvenir cup inside the stadium and get free refills during the game — self-serve soda stations are located throughout A-Deck. Mobile ordering through the Ohio State app cuts wait times significantly; use it.

Ohio State runs one of the stricter bag policies in college football. Ohio State has a no-bag policy at Ohio Stadium and all athletics department venues. Small bags, no larger than 5×8×1 inches, will be permitted. That's basically a wallet. Leave the backpack, the tote bag, and anything resembling a purse at the hotel. Guests with medical or childcare needs will be permitted to carry one bag, no larger than 14×14×4 inches, through the Band Center entrance between Gates 10 and 12, or the Press Entrance between the Huntington Club and Gate 23.

Gates open two hours prior to kickoff, and the Ticket Office opens three hours before kickoff near Gate 5 on the northwest corner of Ohio Stadium. All Ohio Stadium entry gates are equipped with walk-through metal detectors; fans will not need to empty their pockets unless instructed by stadium security. Enter the gate nearest your ticketed section. Away fan tickets, when available, are typically clustered in the C-Deck (upper deck) end zone sections — check your ticket for the correct gate. Don't show up right at kickoff: with 100,000+ people funneling through metal detectors, the queues can be brutal for late arrivals.

All entrances at Ohio Stadium are fully accessible, except for the North Rotunda, which requires guests to traverse down stairs to get to the main concourse. ADA wheelchair seating is distributed across multiple decks, with accessible seating on the A-Deck (lower bowl) offering the best sightlines. Elevators are available to access the upper decks. Guests with medical or childcare needs should enter through the Band Center entrance near Gate 10 or the Press Entrance near Gate 23, where staff can assist and bags with medical equipment will be inspected and permitted through.

Assistive listening devices are available at Guest Services booths, which are located near Gate 13, Gate 14, and near sections 5A, 38A, 2B, 5C, and 6C. For the most current ADA accommodations including sensory-friendly options, contact Ohio State Athletics directly before your visit.

Unique in its double-deck horseshoe design, Ohio Stadium is both intimate and intimidating. The closeness of the seating provides a definite home-field advantage for the Buckeyes, at the same time allowing fans to view the game from unobstructed vantage points. That intimacy works for sightlines but against you if you're in the wrong section wearing the wrong colors.

Away fan tickets are typically allocated in the south end zone upper deck — C-Deck sections in the 27C–33C range — which puts you in the open end of the horseshoe. Sightlines from up there are actually fine for seeing the full field, though you'll be far from the action. Avoid purchasing resale tickets in the middle of the B or C decks on the east or west side — you'll be surrounded by passionate home fans with no buffer. If you want to be close to like-minded away fans, stick to whatever section your school's athletic department has allocated. Check with your team's ticket office before purchasing independently on the resale market.

Away fans venturing into the Horseshoe should prepare for a vastly different and often intense experience.

You are not going to be welcomed with open arms — let's get that straight. Buckeye fans are passionate, knowledgeable, and genuinely proud of what they've built here, and that pride doesn't leave much room for sympathy for the visiting side. That said, if you keep your colors relatively understated before kickoff and don't run your mouth, most interactions will be fine. The real test is inside the bowl: Script Ohio is the signature pregame moment — the Ohio State Marching Band forms the word "Ohio" in flowing cursive across the field, and a senior sousaphone player dots the i — a tradition that's been happening since 1936. Watch it respectfully; even as an away fan, it's genuinely impressive. What you'll notice that no guide can fully prepare you for is the sheer wall of sound during a third-down stop — the double-deck horseshoe traps noise like a soup bowl traps steam, and those upper decks visibly sway during big moments. It's one of the loudest open-air stadiums in America, and you will feel it in your chest.

By transit: COTA's "Bus it to the Buckeyes" service runs post-game, but with 100,000+ people exiting simultaneously, expect a wait. Head to the W Lane Ave & Olentangy River Rd stop and give it 20-30 minutes after the final whistle before you even try. Post-game buses run frequently but pack quickly.

By car: All guests should anticipate a wait time of 60-90 minutes post-game to clear parking lots and garages. If you're in a proximity lot, you're looking at the longer end of that. Your best move: stay in your seats for 15-20 minutes after the final whistle, let the first wave of fans clear the concourses, then exit via the side of the stadium away from your lot — counter-intuitive but faster. The far West Campus lots on the other side of the Olentangy actually clear faster than the closer lots precisely because fewer people fight for the same exits.

By rideshare: Uber and Lyft surge heavily immediately post-game — sometimes 3-4x normal rates. Wait at least 25-30 minutes after the game ends and walk 4-6 blocks north toward Lane Avenue or south toward 11th Avenue before requesting a ride. The further you walk from the stadium perimeter, the faster your pickup and the lower your fare.

The opinionated tip: If you've got a late flight out of CMH, don't cut it close — a 7:00 p.m. kickoff game won't see you in your car and moving smoothly until 11:30 p.m. at the earliest. Book nothing before midnight.

How do I get to Ohio Stadium without a car?

COTA runs a "Bus it to the Buckeyes" service for Ohio State football games at Ohio Stadium. COTA bus lines 1 and 102 also serve the area, with the nearest stop at W Lane Ave & Olentangy River Rd.

What is the bag policy at Ohio Stadium?

Ohio State has a strict no-bag policy. Small bags no larger than 5×8×1 inches will be permitted. Medical and childcare bags (up to 14×14×4 inches) are allowed through designated entrances only.

How much does parking cost?

Day-of-game parking is $60 at Premier lots, $40 at Proximity garages and $30 at Non-Proximity locations. All parking lots open at 5 a.m. and are cashless — credit/debit cards and smartphone payments only.

When do gates open?

Gates open two hours prior to kickoff. The Ticket Office opens three hours before kickoff near Gate 5.

Where do away fans typically sit? Away fan tickets are usually allocated in the south end zone C-Deck (upper deck), generally in sections 27C–33C range. Buy tickets through your school's athletic department allocation when possible to sit with other away fans.

Is Ohio Stadium cashless?

Yes — cashless operations are utilized throughout Ohio Stadium, including for program sales, concessions, ticket office transactions, and merchandise. Bring a card or use your phone.

What's the nearest airport and how far is it?

John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) is 12 miles from Ohio Stadium. By rideshare, expect roughly 20-25 minutes in normal traffic and 35-45 minutes on game day.

Can I bring food or drinks into Ohio Stadium? No outside food or beverages are permitted. The stadium is fully cashless for all concession purchases, and outside containers of any kind are on the prohibited items list.