Iconic Ohio Stadium to Host NHL Stadium Series
2/7/2025 10:02:00 AM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio – History is always being made in the Horseshoe.
The next chapter in the storied legacy of the iconic venue is now less than a month away, and preparations are ramping up after the National Hockey League paid another visit to Ohio Stadium for a comprehensive meeting on Wednesday.
The venerable stadium has already hosted a wide range of sporting events aside from big-time college football, where it just happened to have staged its first playoff matchup in December as the Buckeyes stormed to a national championship. And it’s no stranger to the spotlight after the Horseshoe has welcomed superstars ranging from the Rolling Stones to Metallica, Taylor Swift to George Strait. But for the first time ever, a hockey rink will be installed later this month as the Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series arrives on campus with the hometown Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the Detroit Red Wings at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 1.
2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series – Quick Facts
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings
- Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 6 p.m.
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- Tickets & Resale Tickets: ticketmaster.com
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: 97.1 The Fan (Columbus); 97.1 The Ticket (Detroit)
- The NHL Stadium Series Pep Rally: 2 p.m. at St. John Arena (Free to attend and open to the public on first-come, first-served seating)
- Pep Rally Performances: O.A.R. at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Ohio State Athletic Band
- Ohio Stadium Gates Open: 4 p.m.
- 1st Intermission: Twenty One Pilots
- 2nd Intermission: Ohio State Athletic Band
“They Put on Incredible Events”
“It is a pleasure to be here in this incredible stadium for what we are looking forward to as our 43rd outdoor game,” NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer said from the podium in the Buckeyes postgame press conference room. “We started talking to Ohio State and the Columbus Blue Jackets almost five years ago, and the fact that we’re almost a month away is pretty incredible. Here at Ohio State, they put on incredible events. And it has been amazing to work with the staff here. We do these a lot, and we do these in iconic stadiums. This is first class all the way.
“We think we have an amazing plan. And we do think this is going to be one of, if not the greatest, outdoor game we’ve ever done.”
The stage isn’t quite totally set yet. But the final pieces are all being put in place with roughly two weeks to go until the ice is installed, the field design is unveiled and all the details of the game-day activities are confirmed publicly.
Mayer teased some of those plans after the tie-down meeting with everybody involved from the NHL and Ohio State on Wednesday, including the possibility for a Blue Jackets-style version of Skull Session at St. John Arena and incorporating as many Horseshoe traditions as possible into the hockey game. And both Mayer and Bjork offered a reminder that there are still a limited amount of tickets available for what figures to go down as one of the largest crowds the sport has ever seen.
The Horseshoe already pops up on those record-book lists across a wide spectrum of both athletic and entertainment events. And now the Blue Jackets will put themselves in the same company as Real Madrid, Beyonce, U2 — and the reigning national champions of college football.
“We really pride ourselves on the ability to host these events,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said. “We are really proud to host such a prestigious event and partner with the NHL and our very own Columbus Blue Jackets, the McConnell Family and the Columbus Sports Commission to really make this type of event come to reality.
“This is the first-ever outdoor hockey game played at our historic stadium. We say: Defend the Shoe. I think the Blue Jackets are ready to defend the Shoe.”
Either way, the Blue Jackets will be making history in a stadium that is always ready for more.
