Ohio State Buckeyes Upgrade Football Facility with $125 Million Investment

Ohio State Buckeyes are investing $125 million in upgrades to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, according to athletic director Ross Bjork.

The renovation will be the first since $21.5 million upgrades in 2005-07.

What's changing in the facility?

The upgrades include expanding the locker room and training room, and building a new weight room.

The changes will also include upgrades to coach offices and position rooms.

Why it matters for Ohio State Buckeyes

The football team will be forced to vacate the facility for over a year while construction is going on, displacing it for a season.

The tentative plan is to move the football team into temporary spaces, as well as utilizing the Fawcett Center.

Bjork said Ohio State will be thoughtful about where it moves the football team because it doesn’t want to just put the team in another building or situation that doesn’t fit.

What comes next?

Ohio State has raised enough money or has offers in front of donors to meet a significant portion of the $125 million amount.

Bjork said Ohio State plans to break ground on its renovations in about 18 months.

The Buckeyes set a school record with $336 million in revenue from the fiscal year 2025, after the football team won the national championship.

Bjork expects Ohio State to have a $500 million annual operating budget for its athletic department soon.

The team's next game is vs Ball State Cardinals on 2026-09-05.

Bjork came to Ohio State with a strong background in fundraising from his time at Texas A&M and Ole Miss.

His focus is on maximizing Ohio State’s brand, he said.

There’s a lot of data that shows Ohio State has 12 million fans, Bjork said.