Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day is officially headed to the Hall of Fame. But surprisingly, it is not for his coaching wins with the Buckeyes. Despite leading them to their first national title since 2014 back in 2024, the word is that his alma mater, the University of New Hampshire, announced on June 8, 2026, that they are inducting him into their Athletics Hall of Fame as part of a standout eight-member 2026 class, celebrating his incredible days as a star college quarterback back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Long before he paced the sidelines in Columbus, Day was tearing it up on the field for the UNH Wildcats. Playing under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, Day became the first quarterback in UNH history to attempt more than 1,000 career passes. It is a crazy connection, considering he went from running Kelly’s offense back then to hiring Kelly to run his offense.

Ryan Day was dominant for three years straight. He even served as a team captain during his senior year in 2001, leading the team to a 4-7 record.

By the time he threw his final college pass, Day had completely rewritten the UNH record book by setting nine school records. Over three seasons as a UNH starter, Day threw for 7,670 yards and 53 touchdowns, completing 59.9% of passes. He completed 653 of his passes while maintaining a completion percentage of almost 60% (59.9% to be precise).

However, when you add his rushing stats, it amounts to 8,492 yards. Despite his dominance, his career totals rank only fifth all-time at UNH, which was a testament to the program’s depth.

The official induction banquet is locked in for Sunday, October 4, 2026, during UNH’s festive Homecoming Weekend. Even though it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Day has a pretty major scheduling conflict that will keep him from attending the banquet. He will be traveling back from Iowa that morning. His Buckeyes are scheduled to play a high-stakes road game against Kirk Ferentz’s tough Hawkeyes the day before, on Saturday.

Since he cannot make the formal Sunday banquet, the school has a brilliant backup plan to ensure he gets his flowers in front of the home crowd. UNH will publicly honor Day and the rest of the new Hall of Fame class on the field at halftime on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Fans will get to loudly cheer him on during the Wildcats’ home football game against Elon University at Wildcat Stadium.

This allows local fans to celebrate their hometown hero, who originally starred at Manchester Central High School, where he threw for 4,099 yards and 57 touchdowns.

According to the Columbian Dispatch, Day is going into the Hall alongside his old college head coach, Sean McDonnell. McDonnell took over the UNH program in 1999, right when Day became the starting quarterback, eventually retiring in 2021 with 157 career wins and 100 conference victories. It is a perfect full-circle moment for both men.

Yes, now we have the idea of when he’s getting into his alma mater’s Hall of Fame. The question of the day would be: when is he getting into Ohio State’s Football Hall of Fame for coaching?

Ryan Day’s Ohio State Hall of Fame projection

According to Ohio State’s official rules, a coach must serve the university for at least 15 years before they can even be considered for induction. If you do the math, Ryan Day won’t be eligible for the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame until at least 2032.

Day first arrived on campus as an offensive coordinator back in 2017 before taking over as the head coach in 2019. That means his 15th year of service won’t officially wrap up until the 2031-32 athletic season.

If Day stays with the Buckeyes and keeps winning games, the selection committee could finally put his name on the ballot in 2032 or 2033. He definitely has the winning résumé for it, but the school strictly makes everyone wait their turn.

The National College Football Hall of Fame has a different wait time. For that one, a coach must have 10 years of experience and a great winning record, which Day already has. However, they also require a coach to be retired for three full seasons first. Since Day is still in his 40s and actively leading the Buckeyes, both of these big honors will just have to wait for now.