College athletics have changed so much over the last few years that something like the ‘Tattoogate’ scandal will seem harmless in the current era. However, at the time, the fact that a few Ohio State players signed a few cleats and jerseys and gave away their Big Ten Championship rings blew up into a major controversy that ultimately cost Jim Tressel his job at Columbus. It also focused more on the cover-up than on the initial actions, but Urban Meyer, Tressel’s successor (after a short stint by Luke Fickell) at Ohio State, has always found the overblown reactions ridiculous.

“Jim Tressel was a great friend and has always been a great friend. You know, we played against each other only the one time in the championship game,” Urban Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast when discussing Tressel’s latest induction in the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor. “I’ve said this many times: when you see what happened at Ohio State, and when he resigned or was let go. I followed it because obviously I’m an Ohio State guy. And I was like, Are you kidding me?”

“And now that you know what happened. Jim Tressel is all class. Ohio State is very unique in this regard. All the coaches pull for each other, from Woody Hayes or Earl Bruce to John Cooper to Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, and then myself, and now Coach Day. Everybody pulls for each other, but Jim Tressel certainly deserves his name in that stadium,” Meyers continued.

The “Tattoogate” scandal marred Tressel’s remarkable 10-year tenure with the Buckeyes. The aftermath of the scandal led to his resignation. But he still left a legacy with a 106–22 record at Ohio State, including a national championship. More importantly, Tressel went 9-1 against the team up North. On September 5, during Ohio State’s season opener at Ohio Stadium, Tressel will become the third coach to be inducted into the Ring of Honor, joining Paul Brown and Woody Hayes.

Both Meyer and Tressel have shared a very long and strong bond. The two faced off only once, a game in which Meyer’s Florida Gators defeated Tressel’s top-ranked Buckeyes 41-14 to win the national championship. The Tattoogate didn’t end with Tressel’s resignation. The NCAA forced the Buckeyes to vacate the 2010 season and imposed a postseason bowl ban for 2012. And despite Meyer having nothing to do with it, his team bore the brunt when he took over the program.

In 2012, Meyer led the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record in his first year at Columbus. However, they couldn’t play for the national championship because of the postseason ban. Even last year, Meyer revealed on his podcast that he still holds a grudge against Sports Illustrated for how it exaggerated the Tressel story while admitting that some mistakes were made. However, the program didn’t get any competitive advantage, in his view.

How did Jim Tressel’s life change after retirement?

Sadly, after the whole scandal exploded, Tressel also hung up his boots. He left the college field and started working in administration. He returned to Ohio, serving as president of Youngstown State from 2014 to 2023, and later became lieutenant governor.

Tressel now aims to help students and athletes maintain a healthy lifestyle. He promotes physical education and fitness through the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge. Tressel feels extremely blessed to have landed a position in his hometown.

“It’s surreal. I wanted to be a math teacher, but one thing led to another, and in 25 years, I’ve been a head coach at Ohio State and Youngstown State and a VP at Akron. Governor Dewine had an idea, and it has been a blessing.”