MAUMEE, Ohio — Ohio State Fan Mary Warga proudly shops for clothing in Scarlett and Grey.
- People living in northwest Ohio are in what might be considered a "divided" zone, based on their proximity to Michigan
- There's one store in Maumee that caters to fans of both teams and it’s split down the middle the minute you enter
- The store has been in business for over 30 years
“We have a couple of family members who come from Michigan, some of them root for Ohio State, and one of them will root for Michigan and that’s alright. So, everybody just makes a good time out of it,” said Warga.
While Michigan fan Michelle Koepfer proudly shops for clothing in Maize and Blue.
“Yes. I’m the only Michigan fan in my family,” said Koepfer.
Fortunately for them, in this section of northwest Ohio —where you'll find fans of The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan — there’s a store for both teams, located in the town of Maumee: the Buckeye Wolverine Shop.
Co-owner Chris Mason has seen plenty of houses divided.
“You’ll get a customer in that has to pick something up for their boss or their brother-in-law or something, and it’s the other team, and they will literally walk up to the counter holding it like this, because they don’t want to touch it too much,” said Mason.
The battle lines are drawn the minute you walk in the store.
That’s because the entrance is located right in the middle, where fans have to choose between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.
“We have families that come in and literally will look left, look right and then split and go across and then chirp at each other as they’re showing,” said Mason.
Mason takes the gutsy stance of rooting for both teams year-round.
He and his brother bought the shop, which is more than 30 years old, back in 2010.
He's happy that he jumped into the middle of this historic football battle.
“We didn’t realize what we we’re getting ourselves into, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Mason.
So no matter what team you cheer for, in this store, one of college football’s greatest rivalries is all in good fun.