Ohio State’s primetime game against Oklahoma and highly anticipated Big Ten showdown with Penn State generated the largest alcohol sales revenues inside Ohio Stadium for the 2017 season, with each game bringing in more than $200,000.
According to alcohol sales data obtained by Eleven Warriors through a public records request, Ohio State brought in $233,656 in net alcohol sales revenue during its 31-16 loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 9, which kicked off after 7:30 p.m. and drew a crowd of more than 109,000 to the Horseshoe.
Ohio State made $226,976 in stadium alcohol sales during its other big home football game of the year, its Oct. 28 game against Penn State, which the Buckeyes won 39-38 with a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback, also in front of a crowd of more than 109,000.
For the seven-game football season as a whole, Ohio State brought in a total net revenue of $1,231,280 in Ohio Stadium alcohol sales. Ohio State previously reported its 2017 net revenue in alcohol sales as $1,353,108, but told Eleven Warriors that the previously released number was a miscalculation.
Net alcohol sales revenues from each of Ohio State’s seven 2017 home games can be seen in the table below.
| Game | Opponent | Date | Result | Kickoff | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OKLAHOMA | Sept. 9 | L, 16-31 | 7:47 p.m. | 109,088 | $233,656 |
| 2 | ARMY | Sept. 16 | W, 38-7 | 4:42 p.m. | 108,414 | $157,543 |
| 3 | UNLV | Sept. 23 | W, 54-21 | 12:01 p.m. | 106,187 | $129,400 |
| 4 | MARYLAND | Oct. 7 | W, 62-14 | 4:11 p.m. | 107,180 | $168,135 |
| 5 | PENN STATE | Oct. 28 | W, 39-38 | 3:35 p.m. | 109,302 | $226,976 |
| 6 | MICHIGAN STATE | Nov. 11 | W, 48-3 | 12:05 p.m. | 107,011 | $180,675 |
| 7 | ILLINOIS | Nov. 18 | W, 52-14 | 3:41 p.m. | 105,282 | $134,925 |
| TOTAL NET REVENUE | $1,231,280 | |||||
Ohio State began stadium-wide alcohol sales in 2016. Even with the lower total in net revenues than previously reported, Ohio State still saw an increase in alcohol sales revenue in 2017 from 2016, as it was reported last year by Columbus Business First that Ohio State made about $1.1 million in alcohol sales during its inaugural year.
According to an Ohio State spokesperson, alcohol sales revenue "is being directed to fund campus safety initiatives, including four additional police officers, increased security at football games and funding for the center for alcohol and substance abuse."
