Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork spotted the fan easily.
During the OSU men’s basketball game against Minnesota, the student stood out. Their choice of headgear, the type of foam cowboy hat synonymous with raucous college basketball student sections, would have made them noticeable any night. It was especially true this particular evening, though.
There was a crowd of just 8,750 fans on hand Jan. 20 to watch the Buckeyes fend off the Golden Gophers 82-74 in overtime. It was the smallest crowd for a Big Ten men’s basketball game in the 28-year history of the arena, which seats 18,809.
It’s the biggest arena in the Big Ten, the eighth largest in the nation, and more than ever, the Buckeyes are struggling to fill it. As the Minnesota game came to a close, Bjork said he made his way to the fan in the hat to offer both some thanks and some encouragement.
“He was jumping up and down the whole time,” Bjork said. “I told him thanks for being here and providing energy. Can he bring 15 of his friends next time? Those are the things we have to continue to work and be strategic and help [coach Jake Diebler] build the program.”
With 11 home games in the books this season, Ohio State’s average attendance is 9,867. Throwing out the 2020-21 season, which was played in front of no fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the record for the fewest average fans per home game was set in 2023-24. That season, an average of 10,938 fans saw the Buckeyes post a 15-5 home record; AD Gene Smith fired Chris Holtmann in the middle of the year and replaced him with Diebler.
This season, the Schottenstein Center has been less than half full for five games: IU Indy (8,141), Purdue Fort Wayne (8,926), Appalachian State (7,938), Western Michigan (8,294) and now Minnesota. After making some in-arena upgrades, including a new court and lighting system, and changing in-game promotions, Bjork has seen overall attendance drop compared to 2024-25, when the Buckeyes averaged 11,578 fans while going 11-6 at home.
“It’s not just one thing,” he said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, from winning to atmosphere to in-game entertainment to time of game to day of game – everything. Our ticket pricing is really varied, so it’s affordable for those that want to do that. We’re going to continue to work and try to build it to where it’s consistent.”
The Buckeyes have not had a home sellout game since a 75-69 loss to Michigan on March 6, 2022. They have had 81 sellout crowds in arena history, but only nine since the start of the 2014-15 season.
“What’s the definition of consistent?” Bjork said. “Is that 10-14,000, in that range, because that feels like a much better atmosphere? Are we ever going to sell it out in this era, at 18,000? That’s a difficult challenge.”
Marquee home games are still ahead: Ohio State will host Michigan on Feb. 8, a Sunday; Purdue on March 1, also a Sunday; and Indiana in the March 7 regular-season finale, a Saturday.
“We’ve got to continue to build identity around the program where people say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be there because I know I can make a difference in the outcome of the game,’ ” he said. “No one was happy with the size of the crowd last night, but they made an impact down the stretch. Those that were there, they got loud when they needed to. You just wish there were more.”
After the game, Diebler acknowledged that things have changed since the pandemic. He said he’s appreciative of the fans who do come and cheer. However, the Buckeyes are consistently playing in tough road environments, and they have yet to reliably make life difficult for opponents who come to the Schottenstein Center.
“We can certainly help ignite that [energy] when we’re flying around and the ball’s popping and we’re making shots,” he said after the win. “We all need to work together to build this. That’s the reality of it.”
That’s the final piece of the puzzle: How much would a consistent winner help drive attendance?
“What percentage is it? Who knows, but we know that’s a part of it,” Bjork said. “That’s what’s tough about the last years since we’ve made the NCAA Tournament. That’s what we’ve got to get back to is, we’ve got to be a tournament team and we need to be consistent, because Ohio State has a history of great crowds back in the heyday of Thad Matta.
“We need to get back to that point where the product on the court is fulfilling where people say, ‘I’m coming, no matter what.’ ”
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State AD Ross Bjork says low Schottenstein Center crowds ‘not just one thing’
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
