Ohio State Is Putting a Century of Football Saturdays on the Big Screen

Here's a nice one out of Columbus: Ohio State announced in late October that it's putting the whole sweep of Buckeye football history on the big screen. Tickets are on sale to the general public for Scarlet & Gray Saturdays: The Ohio State Football Story, a film and live panel presentation coming to the Schottenstein Center — a whole afternoon built around the traditions, the band, and the people who've filled the Horseshoe for generations.

What's happening

Per the announcement from Ohio State Athletics on October 28, the event runs Sunday, November 22, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center. It's structured like a game, naturally. The "First Quarter — Origins" segment travels back to the earliest years of Ohio State football and the beginnings of a tradition that would become a defining part of the university and the state. Rare archival footage opens the event, and a special halftime segment celebrates Script Ohio — the single most famous thing a sousaphone player can do in America.

There's a live element, too. Tim May, who has covered the Buckeyes for decades as a sportswriter and football historian, will share insight into the history and tradition of everything Ohio State football. And yes, the band gets its due — the announcement promises footage of the Ohio State Marching Band, "best damn band in the land," which is less a nickname at this point than a legal designation in the state of Ohio.

Why this is good news

Because somebody went into the vault. Most football content is about what happens next — next game, next season, next recruiting class. This is an afternoon devoted entirely to what already happened: grainy film of Saturdays that your grandfather might have attended, dotted i's from decades ago, the slow accumulation of ritual that makes a stadium feel like a hometown. The university itself put it plainly in the announcement: "The story of Ohio State football is deeply woven into the history of our university, our state and generations of Buckeye fans."

That's the part worth celebrating. Traditions only survive if someone keeps telling the story, and a four-hour matinee of archival footage and live storytelling is about the most direct way to do it.

The bigger Ohio picture

Ohio takes its football ritual seriously at every level, and the rituals run deep. The Victory Bell in the southeast tower of Ohio Stadium is rung after every Ohio State victory by members of Alpha Phi Omega, and since 1934, a Buckeye tree has been planted in Buckeye Grove in honor of each of Ohio State's All-Americans. There's even hardware for beating the team up north: since 1934, every Ohio State player receives a gold pants pendant after a victory against Michigan. A film event that treats all of this as history worth preserving — not just background noise behind the scoreboard — feels right at home in a state where the O-H-I-O chant works between total strangers in airports. If that's your language too, our Ohio collection speaks it fluently.

What you can do about it

If you're anywhere near Columbus the Sunday before Thanksgiving, go. Tickets remain on sale to the general public, and an afternoon of old film reels and band footage is a genuinely pleasant way to spend a gray November Sunday. Bring a parent or a kid — this is exactly the kind of event that's better with someone from a different generation sitting next to you, pointing at the screen.

And if you can't make it, you can still participate in the oldest Ohio tradition of all: starting a chant with a stranger. The O-H Tee handles your half of the conversation.

Common questions

When and where is the event?

Sunday, November 22, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, per Ohio State Athletics.

What exactly will I see?

It's a film, video and live panel presentation on the history of Ohio State football. Rare archival footage opens the event, and a halftime segment celebrates Script Ohio.

Do I need to be a season-ticket holder?

No — tickets remain on sale to the general public, according to the university's announcement in late October.

Reported by Ohio State Athletics (ohiostatebuckeyes.com). Details as published at the time of writing.