Ohio State Explores Major Stadium Renovations as AD Ross Bjork Set to Conduct Big Survey

The iconic Horseshoe is on the verge of a major facelift. The university wants to follow the path of Northwestern University and Penn State regarding major stadium renovations. But in a rare move, Ohio State’s athletic department is handing the blueprints to the fans first.

And to help distribute the survey, athletic director Ross Bjork and the athletic department have kept a sports and entertainment consulting firm, CSL, to conduct the study. 

“We’ve got to keep up,” OSU athletic director Ross Bjork said via the Columbus Dispatch. “Whether it’s driving revenue, whether it’s aging amenities, whether it’s fan experience stuff, it’s really just making sure the stadium is modernized every step of the way.”

The effects of the NIL and revenue-sharing era transcend player deals, recruitment, and transfers. It is now influencing programs to seek new means to maximize revenue. By seeking to improve fan experience and offer more premium seating options in stadiums, college programs know they can improve their revenue.

Per The Columbus Dispatch’s Joey Kaufman, the study, which is said to be a comprehensive one, will seek to understand the fans’ opinion “on additional seating options, asking respondents about their interest in premium seats that range from club suites to standing-room-only spots and hospitality areas.”

Kevin Griffin, who is also a former Ohio State wide receiver, explained how the process has developed not just as a random idea from a small group, but one that began last fall with the involvement of some donors.

“One of the things we’re trying to do a better job of, and I hope we do the best in the country, is we actually have information that’s validated,” Griffin said per Eleven Warriors’ Chase Brown, “that then we can have a conversation that’s really truly around information, data and facts as opposed to just a gut instinct.”

“This is really just listening. Zero decisions have been made, and no commitment has been made to do any of this. We just want to see what people are interested in. It helps us not to fall behind. But it also helps us not to get too far ahead. If our fans are telling us they’re not interested, then why would we make that type of investment? We won’t. So this is a really important way for their voices to be heard.”

Ohio State is doing a great job by considering its fans before making such a move. And should the fans consent to it, it will be one of the many renovations the stadium has been undergoing in recent years.

Horseshoe is undergoing scoreboard renovation in 2026

Ohio State will reportedly spend around $6.5 million on a bigger scoreboard on the north end of the stadium, replacing the previous one, which was installed 17 years ago.

The program will reportedly spend around $22 million on the south end scoreboard in 2027, replacing the previous one, which was installed 14 years ago.

The Horseshoe’s renovation places it alongside other major conference programs, such as Northwestern (Ryan Field) and Missouri (Memorial Stadium), that are also modernizing their historic venues ahead of the 2026 season.

With progress made in other aspects of their game, the Buckeyes would want their fans to see more than just a bigger scoreboard in the coming season. They finished the regular season with a 12-1 record, but lost in the Cotton Bowl to the Miami Hurricanes. As they renovate everything else, they would want to renovate their performance and grab another national championship in 2026.

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