Ohio State Unveils Revamped Gameday Traditions for 2025 Season

As the 2025 college football season approaches, Ohio State University is preparing to unveil a revamped gameday experience at the iconic Horseshoe stadium. The university's new athletic director, Ross Bjork, has made enhancing the gameday atmosphere a top priority, and the changes set to be implemented are a mix of excitement and uncertainty for Buckeye fans.

One of the key new traditions is the pregame Victory Bell ceremony, where a distinguished figure connected to the university will ring the bell before the team takes the field. For the season opener against Texas, Buckeye legend Archie Griffin will have the honor of being the inaugural ringer. Additionally, fans will be introduced to "THE Towel," a scarlet and gray rally towel designed to unite the crowd in support of the team. 100,000 towels will be given out for free at the Texas game, with the option for fans to purchase them for future matchups.

To amplify the student presence, Ohio State is consolidating its student sections, with Block O North relocating to join Block O South in the south end zone. This move aims to create a larger, more vibrant student cheering section. The university is also streamlining in-game operations, reducing sponsor segments during media timeouts and revamping the video board content to prioritize real-time stats, scores, and replays.

Music will play a bigger role in energizing the stadium, with a new gameday anthem, "Ohio" by Columbus-based band Caamp, set to be featured in the first half. The Ohio State Marching Band, TBDBITL, will also see some changes, with the potential shift of the traditional "Hang on Sloopy" performance to various points in the second half to align with the game's momentum.