Ohio Stadium has undergone a transformation the likes of which it has never seen this week.
No, a multi-million-dollar renovation is not underway in the Shoe. Ohio Stadium is being prepared to host an NHL Stadium Series game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings, and the decor is meeting the occasion of the first-ever NHL contest in the college football cathedral.
Counting down the days#CBJ #StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/GnOCTwjoRk
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 26, 2025
All the elements of the rink are designed to celebrate both Ohio State football and Columbus Blue Jackets hockey. The field surrounding the ice rink is modeled after a Buckeye football helmet, with a scarlet and gray stripe running through the center lined off on either side by the CBJ's Union blue.
The north half of the field is decorated with helmet stickers portraying Buckeye Leaves, the NHL logo and the Blue Jackets' cannon. In a cool subtle touch, more helmet stickers will be added following each Columbus goal on Saturday with the traditional firing of the Blue Jackets' cannon.
The NHLs Steve Mayer says that for each #CBJ goal in the #StadiumSeries game, not only will the cannon go off I promise it will be louder than in the arena, he says but a new helmet sticker will be added to the field decor. Cool touch. pic.twitter.com/CFVeucPHAL
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) February 26, 2025
A stage where Twenty One Pilots, the world-renowned music duo from Columbus, will perform at the game's first intermission sits further north on the field.
At the center of the field, the rink itself is decked on a platform resembling Ohio State's famed Block 'O' logo, but in Blue Jackets colors. Center ice is adorned with a unique Stadium Series logo.
Getting closer! #StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/7vMOqJfiVT
— Nationwide Arena (@NationwideArena) February 26, 2025
Even the exterior of the Shoe is spruced up for the festivities, as spectators will see Stadium Series decals posted about their entry gates as they make their way into the stadium.
The Twenty One Pilots concert won't be the only event surrounding the game that the NHL puts on. A Stadium Series Pep Rally starts at 2:30 p.m., three-and-a-half hours before puck drop, in St. John Arena. The event is free to the public with first-come, first-serve seating and will feature performances by another platinum-selling Ohio-based band, O.A.R., and the Ohio State athletic band. Blue Jackets players will swing by the pep rally before taking a ceremonious walk to Ohio Stadium, as the Buckeye football team does before its home games.
Opening ceremonies for the game in the Shoe will feature more performances from the athletic band, which will keep the atmosphere going during the contest by playing during game stoppages. Two F-16s will fly over the stadium following the presentation of colors by Ohio State's ROTC and the playing of the national anthem. The Buckeyes' national-championship-winning football team will be recognized on the field at the second intermission.
More than 90,000 tickets have already been sold for the event. Ohio State University president Ted Carter, a lifelong hockey fan and college star at the U.S. Naval Academy, is among those most excited for the spectacle.
“If you're wondering about whether or not to come to this, buy a ticket,” Carter said to the media last week. "This is historic. It's going to be an experience you've never seen before.”
Im ready for us to pack the Shoe again this time for some hockey! Had a great time checking out preparations to get our stadium ready for the @BlueJacketsNHL to host Detroit on March 1. Grateful to the crews working hard to make the transformation possible. T-minus 10 days! pic.twitter.com/CKlC7Z2c9U
— Walter Ted Carter Jr. (@OhioStatePres) February 19, 2025
Tributes to late Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, who were fatally struck while cycling in August, are planned throughout the game.
Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday in the Shoe. ESPN will broadcast the event.
