Rising along the banks of the Olentangy River, Ohio Stadium is one of Columbus’ most recognizable landmarks. Built more than a century ago, it ranks as the third-largest stadium in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Yet the ‘Shoe is defined by much more than its size or architecture. It’s one of the most storied venues in all of college athletics. From the 1985 Jesse Owens Classic that welcomed dozens of Olympic champions, to the legendary sidelines once paced by the great Woody Hayes, to present-day Saturdays when more than 100,000 fans rally behind the Buckeyes and the unmistakable sound of The Best Damn Band in the Land fills the air.
Remarkably, anyone can experience this cherished venue up close. Guided stadium tours offer guests an insider’s look at one of college football’s most celebrated spaces, and when integrated into an event, the tours create moments attendees remember long after the program ends.
Few people understand the power of those experiences better than Evan Derr, the director of event services in the Ohio State University Department of Athletics who helped lead the launch of modern Ohio Stadium tours. In this Q&A, Derr shares insights, stories, and practical recommendations for seamlessly incorporating a stadium tour into your next Ohio State event.
How long have you been working with facilities and tours at Ohio State?
I was an usher at the Schottenstein Center as an Ohio State student, then became an intern, helping manage guest services, security, ticket taking, and event planning for arena events. After graduation, I worked in events at the Red Cross for five years. I ran the first aid program, managing the staff you see at races, concerts, and festivals, and then moved into development events.
When a job came open here in the Athletics Department it was such a natural fit. I came back to manage all of our redcoats and ushers (the 1,200 part-time frontline ambassadors that represent Ohio State with guests at athletic and other events). I’m starting my 11th year here now.
How have Ohio Stadium tours grown and changed over time?
We've been running tours of the stadium for almost 20 years. For a long time, it was very informal. People would just call and ask for a tour. There were a couple of redcoats that would come in if someone requested it. More and more calls and emails kept coming in so eventually they formalized it, but you still had to schedule it at least three weeks in advance. We operated that way for many years until it became hundreds of people calling and it was too much to manage.
We re-launched the tours program in 2024 where guests could book online with a timed ticketing system like any other attraction out there, and it took off like crazy. We had about 10,000 people come through those first couple of months and it really hasn’t slowed down since then.
Who’s registering for the tours?
By committing to having tour guides scheduled on-site and ready to go every day, we’re able to accommodate a lot of those people who are asking, “What are we going to do this weekend?” Or, “What should we do when Grandpa comes to town next weekend?” About 60% of our tour guests are people who have gone online to buy timed tickets. You can buy tickets up until the start of the tour.
We’re also finding most of our guests are not local to Columbus. They're out-of-town guests that maybe are coming to Columbus for the weekend or coming through on their way somewhere else. The other day, a family was here who had been in Pittsburgh and were going to hop in the car and do a 10-hour drive back to Iowa after the tour. They just wanted something to do on the way back home.
We also have a lot of corporate and school groups as well as tours that get scheduled as part of visiting events on campus or meetings and convention business in Columbus. We have special pricing for groups of 10 or more, and groups can add on meeting rooms and meals.
Is it typical for a university to offer tours of its stadium?
Not really, though several schools are starting to offer them. I think for a lot of those college towns, they're not as big of a metro as we are. They don't have a big tourist market, convention business, or guest count we have coming through the city. Will there be people that want to see their facility or that come in on game days or major event days? Sure, but you're probably not getting as many people traveling in to do it that we see here in Columbus. For us, we're essentially running almost 6 days a week, especially during high season.
What’s it like seeing people experience the inside of the stadium for the first time?
Buckeye Football really means something to people. It’s the background of everybody’s life in the state. But for a lot of fans that grow up in Ohio, they don't get to see our football games in person. They can be the biggest Buckeye fan, but for many people, it's just out of reach. So it's that opportunity for people to get to experience it in a very cool way that you don't normally get to.
For a long time, the home locker room wasn’t on our tour. The thinking was, “it’s just an empty locker room,” right? But we realized there was this aura around it. People crave that access, that experience that you can't get any other time. That's a big part of it when people realize that, “Oh, wow, I get to go in the locker room at Ohio Stadium, where people have been for 100 years playing games.” And I think that’s a big part of the success of it, is that you get to experience areas you don't get to see any other time.
What stops on the tour really impress guests?
At the very start of the tour you usually go up to the press box and they take you around the corner and it's just floor to ceiling windows where the media sits. You can hear the guests go, “Wow, oh my gosh. This is crazy.” It’s just the size of the venue, and you see the whole venue from way above. It’s just cool to hear and see those guests have that moment.
Then when you go down to the field, that's where you get some of the real football buffs. They have that moment of, “Archie Griffin played here. Kirk Herbstreit played here, Troy Smith, all these Heisman winners, Eddie George, and I’m standing here.”
What surprises guests most on the tour?
I think it's the access that we provide. I've gone on a bunch of different tours over time in my own travels. I’ve gone to Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway and, they’re incredible, but you don’t always get to see as much. So I think it's that we just put so much out there. We take you into the press box, the Huntington Club, the band center, the locker room, the recruit room, and the field. I think that's what creates a really good experience for people so that when they walk away, they tell their family and friends about it. And they're like, “This was the coolest thing ever. You gotta do it. You gotta take your family.”
How do tours integrate into conferences or meetings?
When somebody wants to do an event like a wedding or a meeting at the stadium specifically, they usually want to be immersed in sports. That’s why they’ve chosen to have their event here. So I think we have a duty when somebody wants to book with us, to immerse them in the whole experience that is Buckeye sports, and tours are a big part of that.
For events on campus or Columbus broadly, we see that adding a tour as an activity really loosens people up. So if you're doing a training event for your company, it's really a team-building activity. It's a time to get out, stretch your legs, wander around, see some cool history, talk to the redcoats, take pictures, and engage with your coworkers and your colleagues.
Any tips for someone planning an Ohio Stadium group tour?
We tailor our tours, so if you’re scheduling for a group we’ll want to know a little about the guests. Kids need time to just run around. Corporate groups want to see everything. Sports nuts want to hear every historical fact about football players. We want to make sure each group gets an experience they’re going to love — and we make accommodations so tours are welcoming, comfortable, and accessible for all guests.
We also have a lot of specialty tours to consider. There’s a Tour & Dine option where you can have a meal at the stadium before or after your tour, the Ultimate VIP Tour Experience includes the chance to try on the real gear that players wear, and the Things You’ve Never Seen Tour takes guests even further behind the scenes to places like the Bell Tower.
Also, wear your tennis shoes. There’s lots to see and explore, and you won’t want to miss any of it.
To learn about all the specialty tours and schedule a tour, visit go.osu.edu/ohio-stadium-tours.
Experience Columbus is the presenting sponsor of Ohio State Tours.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.