Ohio State game days set to return to normal: Masks will be required in the Shoe; no cash

After a year without fans, marching band performances, or even Brutus roaming the sidelines, football season is about to look and feel a lot more normal this season.

When the Buckeyes host Oregon on Sept. 11 in their first home game of the season, it will feel like a proper game day in Columbus for the first time since November of 2019. Fans will be tailgating, the stadium will be at capacity, and the band will once again be performing the incomparable Script Ohio in front of 100,000 strong.

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It’s been a long time coming, and it didn’t come without sacrifice.

“I want to thank all the Buckeye fans out there who have kept their health at the forefront over the past year,” Ryan Day said. “It’s been a long year. It’s been hard for a lot of us. We’re looking forward to getting back to the Shoe. We’re very excited to have a full stadium, and a big part of that is getting vaccinated.”

Things still won’t be completely normal – masks will still be required in all indoor and enclosed spaces on game day and Ohio Stadium is going cashless and contact-free – but it’s certainly a start.

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