The Ohio State Department of Athletics officially announced the key sale dates for the 2026 football season. So if you’re planning to get into The Shoe this fall without paying resale prices, you better watch out for these dates. June 16 and June 26 are the dates you won’t want to forget. 

Ohio State confirmed that Pick 3 mini-plans will go on sale June 16 at 10 a.m. ET. Single-game tickets for the general public will go on sale June 26 at 10 a.m. ET while Alumni Association members will get early access starting June 23. And with Oregon and Michigan both coming to Ohio Stadium in 2026, fans likely won’t wait long before grabbing seats. 

The mini-plan also gives fans a more affordable option. They can choose either the Ball State or Kent State game and then add two more matchups from Illinois, Maryland, and Northwestern. Prices for those Pick 3 plans will start at $205, depending on seating zones and availability. 

Single-game tickets start at $57 where available. But note that availability is going to disappear fast. You already saw what happened financially following the 2024 season. Per reports, Ohio State’s ticket revenue shot up from $58.8 million in FY 2024 to $81.7 million in FY 2025. 

This 2026 season, there’s not many spots for Ohio State to cruise by. The Buckeyes open at home against Ball State on Sept. 5 before immediately heading into one of the most anticipated road games in the country against Texas. Kent State follows and then there are conference hurdles with Illinois, at Iowa, Maryland, and at Indiana. After a bye week, Ryan Day’s team will hit the road again at USC to close the October schedule. Then four more conference games await in November starting with Oregon, Northwestern, at Nebraska, and finally Michigan. 

That’s why ticket demand is already surging months before kickoff. Student ticket requests open from May 26 through June 4 where eligible students get details right from the ticket office. After that, the public windows begin as June 26 hits. There’s another important detail Ohio State announced, which is verified resale protection.

“Single game tickets for some games will sellout,” the official website added. “However, it is important to note that verified resale tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, OhioStateBuckeyes.com and via the Ohio State Buckeyes app. The Department of Athletics firmly encourages fans to protect themselves from potential fraud by utilizing these sites for purchasing resale tickets over any other resale ticket options.”

That’s a warning for those who could be tempted to buy a suspiciously “cheap” ticket off some random marketplace or social media account. It’s not uncommon for fans to get duped with invalid barcodes that deny access to games. That problem gets much worse during blockbuster seasons like this one and it starts with the Texas matchup. 

Ticket price for Ohio State at Texas is already sky-high

Last season’s Week 1 game between Texas and Ohio State in Columbus went crazy. The game stayed intense throughout the four quarters. Both programs ended the season below their own championship expectations, but the rematch has somehow become even bigger. Now Ohio State heads to Austin on Sept. 12 for the return leg, and the secondary market prices are already wild.

Some premium seats are currently listed at $4,116 and $3,995. Even the so-called “cheaper” seats are flying around $600. Most of the stadium inventory lives somewhere between $1,000 and $4,000. Tickets in visitor sections from 119 to 123 are already being listed between $600 to $850. Fans wanting lower-bowl seats behind the visitor bench in sections 7 or 8 may have to pay close to $930. 

Meanwhile, Texas has also raised prices for students. Still, fans know these games carry huge importance now. In the CFP, one or two losses no longer end a team’s season. So while Ohio State announced ticket-sale dates this week, it also showed how ticket demand and prices are only getting higher.