COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football fans won’t have to wear a mask while watching action on the field at Ohio Stadium this season, but they'll have to put one on when they head to the restroom.
The university’s athletic department outlined the mask policy and health protocols for the upcoming season as part of an overall update on the game day experience.
The policy states that guests will not need to wear a mask in outdoor public spaces. That includes places like the seating bowl, entry gates and concession stands. Masks will be required for all interior public spaces — the Huntington Club, elevators, first aid rooms, restrooms, etc.
Ohio State announced in July that the Horseshoe will operate at full capacity, more than 103,000 fans, this fall.
Masks will be mandatory for several pregame festivities as well. That includes Skull Sessions (pregame pep rallies) at St. John Arena and events at the French Field House.
Fan Fest, located along the lawn in front of St. John Arena, will return this season. They'll sell alcohol this year, OSU announced.
The mask requirements for game days are an extension of the updated university-wide policy released last week. OSU now requires masks at all its indoor campuses and medical facilities, regardless of a person's vaccination status.
The school's policy also requires unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask outdoors when they cannot maintain physical distancing requirements. Vaccinated people are not required to mask outdoors.
OSU encouraged everyone to "get vaccinated as soon as possible."
Tuesday’s release outlined other changes ahead of the 2021 season. The changes range from new technologies to safety measures and traffic impacts.
Like most major sports and entertainment sites, Ohio Stadium will go as contactless as possible this season. That includes going cashless for buying tickets, concessions and Buckeye merchandise.
To help streamline some of those services for fans, the university launched a new Ohio State Buckeyes app. A user can manage their ticket, parking and concession ordering through the app. It will also feature things like live audio of the game and stats.
Other changes include:
- There will be some road restrictions this season so the school advised fans to arrive early
- All game tickets will be accessible via mobile devices
- The university plans to outline options for fans without smartphones at a later date
- Access to parking lots will be via mobile passes and public lots will be cashless operation
- Everyone will pass through a metal detector upon entry to the stadium
- The "no bag" policy will continue this season
- Fans will scan their own ticket into the game at a pedestal ticket scanner
For more information, you can visit the Ohio State Buckeyes website.