Attending Ohio State basketball games is going to be cheaper in 2024-25.
At their meeting on Thursday, the Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved reduced ticket prices for the men's basketball team ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Season ticket costs will start at $218, $37 less than this past season. The Board of Trustees also set prices for six different “zones” in Value City Arena and student ticket costs.
| Game Category | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NonConference | $28 | $25 | $20 | $13 | $11 | $7 | $9 |
| Conference | $46 | $42 | $29 | $24 | $16 | $10 | $9 |
| Premier | $57 | $51 | $39 | $29 | $22 | $15 | $9 |
| Season Ticket (Public) | $606 | $542 | $405 | $307 | $218 | ||
| Season Ticket (Faculty/Staff) | $561 | $500 | $376 | $281 | $215 |
The cost of tickets for individual conference and premier games will decrease alongside the cost of season tickets, though individual nonconference games that aren't premier will remain at the same price lines.
| Game Category | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NonConference | $28 | $25 | $20 | $13 | $11 | $7 | $9 |
| Conference | $48 | $44 | $39 | $29 | $20 | $11 | $9 |
| Premier | $61 | $57 | $51 | $36 | $25 | $16 | $9 |
| Season Ticket (Public) | $642 | $584 | $507 | $363 | $255 | ||
| Season Ticket (Faculty/Staff) | $587 | $545 | $472 | $340 | $245 |
Per the trustees' meeting agenda, the reduced costs are due to a decline in both season and individual game basketball ticket purchases over the past four years. The goal for the board is to “rebuild our season ticket base and shift the individual game sales trajectory.”
Even after 18,353 fans packed out Value City Arena to see Ohio State upset No. 2 Purdue 73-69 on Sunday, the Buckeyes are averaging an attendance of just 11,290 in 2023-24, a record low for the Schott. The previous record low was set just last year when the Buckeyes averaged 12,181 fans.
| Year | Avg. Attendance | %Increase/Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 13,495 | +9.5% |
| 2018-19 | 13,922 | +3.2% |
| 2019-20 | 14,531 | +4.4% |
| 2020-21 | N/A | N/A |
| 2021-22 | 13,276 | -8.6% |
| 2022-23 | 12,181 | -8.2% |
| 2023-24 | 11,290 | -7.3% |
With the drop in costs, the trustees and Ohio State's basketball program at large hope to see attendance increase for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. Perhaps a new head coach and potential excitement for the program's future will also help.
The Buckeyes will play two more home games this season on Feb. 29 against Nebraska and on March 3 against Michigan. First, they'll clash with Minnesota on the road at 8 p.m. Thursday.
