Crews are tearing down the field in Columbus, where Ryan Day’s Ohio State made its 2024 national title run and created several iconic moments. The program unveiled its new uniform for the 2026 season this week, including a home and away uniform with silver stripes. Days after that announcement, OSU announced it would be introducing changes to Ohio Stadium’s turf.

According to reports, the Columbus program is installing a new turf at the stadium, featuring Shaw Sports Turf’s Forge Series system. With the upgraded system, the field will now meet “NFL standards,” featuring Game ON technology that integrates game marking directly into the turf. Ryan Day’s program plans to install the turf before the 2026 season commences.

“The new surface at Ohio Stadium takes this vision further—providing a dynamic playing surface that provides the latest advancements in performance and safety and meets NFL standards,” OSU Athletic Director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “Our staff will now be able to utilize customizable end zones that amplify themed game atmospheres and elevate the experience for fans inside the stadium and watching nationwide.”

The new Shaw Sports Turf series is reportedly designed to meet the NFL’s new synthetic turf testing requirements, coming into effect this year. So, OSU’s new turf will now integrate numbers, harsh marks, yard lines, and logos directly into the turf, eliminating the “cut-and-glue” inlay process. This will allow the program to skip long maintenance and big installation crews, which was the case in its earlier turf.

Ryan Day’s Ohio State last replaced the turf at Ohio Stadium in 2022. At the time, the new turf included Buckeye leaf decals at the 35-yard lines, along with black, white, and scarlet patterns in the end zone. Moreover, the end zone fonts were updated for “consistency” to mimic those of other prominent artificial surfaces. The 2022 design effectively replaced the 2014 design at the stadium, following complaints about a “worn-out” end zone design and natural wear and tear.

“The new turf is a welcome upgrade to Ohio Stadium to maintain the safety and performance of our players on gamedays,” OSU head coach Ryan Day said about the new turf OSU is getting this year. Recently, critics have targeted the stadium’s turf because players often slip during games, and many people have raised concerns that the surface causes injuries to the program’s players. But now, with the new surface, Ohio State has done several things together that will help the program organize more ‘themed’ games, which wasn’t the case earlier.

Ohio State is preparing for the future

Apart from the stadium’s turf upgrade, Ohio State is also honoring its past and embracing its future through a comprehensive uniform evolution. The school has now introduced five different uniform combinations and will choose among them depending on the matchup flexibility. So far, the program has introduced a metallic silver sleeve that closely resembles its iconic silver helmets.

Apart from that, the Columbus program has also introduced a ‘Block O’ on the jersey collar. The ‘Block O’ symbol is the most iconic and versatile symbol and even stands at the center of the field at the Shoe. Additionally, inside the jersey collars, the team will feature a festoon pattern that pays homage to Ohio Stadium’s architectural heritage. But that’s not where the changes stop.

The team has also reintroduced its ‘Tunnel Vision’ helmets, last worn in 2022, which signal a modern look for the fans. Furthermore, the team will have a “bold” all-scarlet uniform, inspired by the stadium’s “Scarlet the Shoe” atmosphere. The uniforms were last worn against Tennessee in the College Football Playoff.

Lastly, the Buckeyes will also have a ‘Sub Zero’ uniform, which comprises a silver helmet, white jersey, and white pants.

“These new elements exemplify how we honor our tradition while evolving purposefully for the future,” Ross Bjork said.