COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Ohio State gears up to host its first-ever playoff game, excitement among fans is growing as they wonder what it will look like and how it might be different from normal home games.
Ohio Stadium will look a little different Saturday under the lights, and Caleb Clark is in charge of making it all happen.
He’s the associate athletic director of marketing and live events for OSU. So when the Buckeyes found out they were hosting a first-round College Football Playoff game, it was off to the races to create the best fan experience.
“A lot of the things that Buckeye fans have been asking for this year," Clark said. "A night game in the Shoe is going to be awesome as itself. The impact of this being the first College Football Playoff home game and what a great venue.”
So what do fans have to look forward to? In addition to the scarlet uniforms and scarlet out by fans, there will be a drone show after the third quarter.
“It’s going to be a 500 drone show, which is the largest in college athletics," Clark said.
And the team entrance will look a little different too, with lasers and fog to showcase the moment.
“We’re going to show a live shot of the team walking down the tunnel through those lasers, and it’s going to look awesome," Clark said.
Despite the concern of Tennessee fans taking over the Shoe, Clark is sure Buckeye Nation will show up.
“It’s truly one of those things where you’re not going to realize how big of a moment it is until you get here," he said.
He’s excited to show everyone what they’ve been working on, and he says their innovation is just beginning.
“It’s no secret that we’re kind of reevaluating what our game day looks like as it is," he said. "So it’s a really good blank slate for us to try some things that look a little bit different and see what we like and hopefully we hit homers this Saturday and some of those things carry over to next year as well.”