Ohio Stadium holds 102,780 people, which makes it the third largest on campus venue in the country and one of the ten largest stadiums in the world. It has been that size since 2019, when a renovation deliberately removed about 2,000 seats. The record crowd is considerably larger than the capacity.
| Official capacity | 102,780, since 2019 |
| Record attendance | 110,045 vs Michigan, November 26, 2016 |
| Highest season average | 106,296 in 2014 |
| Opened | October 7, 1922, capacity 66,210 |
| Original cost | $1.34 million |
| Architect | Howard Dwight Smith, Ohio State class of 1907 |
| Home record | 466 wins, 135 losses, 15 ties through 2024 |
The Record Crowd
The largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history came on November 26, 2016, when 110,045 watched Ohio State beat Michigan 30 to 27 in double overtime, the only overtime game in the rivalry’s history. That is more than 7,000 above the official capacity, which is possible because standing room and temporary seating for marquee games routinely push the count well past the listed figure.
The 2005 game against Texas drew 105,565, and the stadium has recorded crowds above 105,000 on a number of occasions. Our Michigan Stadium page covers the other side of a rivalry in which the two schools have led the nation in attendance almost every year since 1949.
How the Capacity Changed
| Year | Capacity | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 66,210 | Opened with a 5 to 0 win over Ohio Wesleyan |
| 1991 | 91,470 | Decades of gradual additions |
| 2001 | 101,568 | Track removed, field lowered, permanent south stands |
| 2007 | 102,329 | Minor additions |
| 2014 | 104,944 | 2,500 seats added to the south stands |
| 2019 | 102,780 | Seats removed to add luxury suites and premium seating |
Why the Stadium Got Smaller
Ohio Stadium peaked at 104,944 in 2014 and then went the other way. A four year renovation that began in 2017 replaced ordinary seating with suites and club areas, reducing the count by roughly 2,000. It was a deliberate trade: fewer seats, considerably more revenue per seat.
That is the trend across the sport. Michigan Stadium remains larger at 107,601, and Beaver Stadium at Penn State is undergoing a renovation of its own that will also reduce capacity.
The 2001 Renovation
The transformation that took the Horseshoe past 100,000 cost about $194 million and did three things at once. The running track that had circled the field since 1923 was removed, the playing surface was lowered by more than 14 feet, and the rows freed up by both changes were filled with new seating. The temporary south stands, which had been portable bleachers, became a permanent structure.
The stadium kept its horseshoe shape throughout. The south end is left open on purpose.
The Design
Howard Dwight Smith, an Ohio State graduate, designed the stadium and won the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for it. The C shaped bowl was unusual for its time and remains one of the most recognisable outlines in the sport. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Its nicknames include the Horseshoe, the Shoe, and the House That Harley Built, after Chic Harley, the three time All American whose success in the 1910s created the demand for a bigger venue.
Beyond Football
The Columbus Crew played their first three MLS seasons at Ohio Stadium from 1996 to 1998 before moving to a purpose built ground. On March 1, 2025, the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings 5 to 3 in the NHL Stadium Series, the first hockey game played at the Horseshoe. The Ohio State marching band, which performs Script Ohio there, is arguably as famous as the building.
The Bottom Line
Ohio Stadium holds 102,780, down from a peak of 104,944 after a renovation that traded seats for suites. The record crowd of 110,045 came against Michigan in 2016, the only overtime game in the rivalry. It opened in 1922 with a capacity of 66,210 and has been over 100,000 since 2001. Our Ohio State all time record page covers what has happened on the field.