Ohio Stadium could be home to Ohio State and the Cleveland Browns in the near future.
According to a report from NEOtrans, an economic, construction, development and real estate news website in Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Browns and their owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have plans to renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium, the team's home venue off the shores of Lake Erie.
When that happens, the Browns could temporarily move to Columbus, where the NFL franchise would host its home matchups at the Columbus Crew's Lower.com Field or Ohio Stadium.
"That means the Browns will play for two to three seasons at another location. It isnt publicly known yet where the Browns will play, but Columbus is a likely location."https://t.co/OVXNemgGPi
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) April 17, 2023
"The Haslams seek to rebuild Cleveland Browns Stadium so thoroughly that a source said, 'It won’t look anything like it does now.' The city-owned stadium will reportedly be rebuilt on their existing lease with the city rather than wait until after that 30-year lease expires following the 2028 football season," NEOtrans' Ken Prendergast wrote. "The reason for rebuilding the stadium sooner, coinciding with converting the Shoreway to a boulevard, is to avoid higher construction costs later on and start the next lease with the newly rebuilt stadium. That means the Browns will play for two to three seasons at another location."
While the Browns could explore other options for where to play, "Columbus is a likely option" for the immediate future, NEOtrans reported.
"The Haslams already have a presence there with their Columbus Crew Major League Soccer club. Its venue, the two-year-old, soccer-specific Lower.com Field, seats only 20,371," Prendergast wrote. "When the Browns played their first Orange & Brown Scrimmage on Aug. 7, 2015, they played to 49,734 fans at The Ohio State University’s 102,734-seat Ohio Stadium. It was the highest attendance for any Browns open practice or Family Day since at least 2005."
If the Browns approach Ohio State with a deal to temporarily relocate to Columbus, and the school's leadership agrees, the partnership could be mutually beneficial.
The Browns would have a fortified stadium that could potentially host the largest crowds in NFL history, packing more than 100,000 fans into the Shoe on a Sunday. As for the Ohio State side of the coin, Ohio Stadium would require winterization to host Cleveland's games in December and January, which was a potential issue if the Buckeyes were to host College Football Playoff games in the future. This agreement could theoretically leave the Browns footing the bill.
Should that kind of agreement come to fruition between Ohio State and the Browns, the Columbus Blue Jackets would also be a beneficiary, as the NHL team reportedly has had the desire to play outdoor hockey games in the Shoe for several years. The main roadblock preventing a deal has always been winterization at Ohio Stadium.
Currently, the Browns and Ohio State have had no known contact about the Browns playing in the Shoe. But it’s a scenario that could be on the table as the Browns looking for a temporary home.
