Tradition evolved: Ohio State announces new game day experiences

The Ohio State University Department of Athletics has been hard at work the past nine months, reimagining the entire game day experience at Ohio Stadium. “Tradition Evolved” is the department’s commitment to aligning Ohio Stadium’s energy with the passion of the people in it.

“Tradition at Ohio State is our North Star,” Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork said. “As this process unfolded, we wanted to protect and honor our tradition while also evolving it with purpose, passion, and with Buckeye Nation at the heart of it.”

Tradition Evolved” is growing traditions and memories, such as the playing of the victory bell, TBDBITL’s ramp entrance and the roar after a third-down stop, to make them even more memorable and powerful.

With new leadership under Bjork and an exciting example set during the College Football Playoffs home game against Tennessee in December, the athletics department was reminded that Ohio Stadium at its best is unmatched.

The tradition of Alpha Phi Omega members ringing the Victory Bell has long echoed across campus after each Buckeye win. That tradition will continue, but beginning this fall, the bell will also ring in a new era.

To ignite the energy of the crowd before kickoff, the Victory Bell will now sound before the team storms the field. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of his second Heisman Trophy, Archie Griffin will serve as the first pregame Victory Bell “ringer” on Aug. 30, when the Buckeyes take on the Texas Longhorns. Griffin will also help select future bell ringers as an ambassador alongside Alpha Phi Omega.