Buckeyes fans will pay more for tickets

COLUMBUS, OHIO >> Ohio State fans who want to buy season tickets for some of the best seats at home football games will pay extra for that access beginning in 2022 to help fund athletic scholarships.

University trustees approved a new tiered ticket plan Thursday to require a per-seat contribution of up to $1,500 in addition to the ticket price for top-tier seats at Ohio Stadium.

That is more in line with what many other large schools do and will lower prices for season tickets in less desirable sections, athletic director Gene Smith said.

It’s expected to increase giving for scholarships from around $14 million annually to between $25 million and $30 million eventually, he said.

Smith said the change was in the works for a while and isn’t related to his department’s revenue deficit from the pandemic, which is expected to be around $60 million for the fiscal year ending June 30 — less severe than a previous estimate of $100 million.

The new ticket plan will divide the nearly 103,000seat stadium into six pricing zones, both for season plans and single games. There will be no per-seat contribution for about onethird of season-ticket holders in the least desirable locations. Others will pay on a sliding scale depending on the zone.

More than 14,000 season tickets will be available to the public at regular prices, with no extra contribution required, according to the athletic department.

Tickets for the 2022 season will range from $710 to $1,287 per seat for the eight-game package. About 28,000 seats are allocated for Ohio State students, who pay $34 per game.