Buckeye students aim to turn Ohio Stadium south stands into South Beach at annual spring football game Saturday, free admission with valid Buck ID 

Who: Ohio State Students
What: Buckeye Beach Party
When: Saturday, April 25
10 a.m. Gate 32 opens;
11 a.m. Men’s Lacrosse game vs. Notre Dame (The Showdown in the ‘Shoe)
1:30 p.m. 2009 LifeSports Spring Football Game
Where: South Stands, Ohio Stadium (enter Gate 32)
Cost: FREE! (to Ohio State Students with a valid  BUCK ID)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – With temperatures expected to exceed 80 degrees Saturday, Jim Tressel, head coach of the Buckeyes,  the Ohio State Department of Athletics and the University’s Office of Student Life, have invited OSU students to transform Ohio Stadium’s south stands into a beach-day atmosphere during the 2009 LifeSports Spring Football Game.

Buckeye students labored to class under gray skies, drizzle and temperatures falling short of 50 degrees Tuesday, making for a long-awaited upturn in the weather. Saturday, the students will have Ohio Stadium south stands to bask in the sunshine and take in not only the annual Scarlet and Gray football game ( about 1:30 p.m.), but also a conference championship deciding lacrosse match between the Buckeyes and longtime regional rival Notre Dame (11 a.m.).

For their dedication throughout the 2008-09 athletics season, Ohio State students can enjoy all the festivities on and off the field Saturday FOR FREE. To gain free admission to Ohio Stadium, students with valid Buck IDs can enter south stands through Gate 32 (open 10 a.m.). 

Students that previously purchased tickets through the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office for the lacrosse/football spring game - which share a $5 admission cost - can be issued refunds by calling 1-800-GoBucks.

Saturday festivities will include beach-themed music, games and prizes, while all students are asked to wear beach attire like Hawai’ian shirts, board shorts, sandals, etc.

For more information on the lacrosse and spring football game, as well as the second annual Scarlet and Gray Days sports celebration April 24-26, visit www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

NOTE: Access to Section AA of the south stands will be restricted until the conclusion of the lacrosse game. Section AA is located directly behind the lacrosse goal and within proximity to errant shots. 

About Ohio State Athletics
The Ohio State University Department of Athletics sponsors 36 fully funded varsity teams – 17 for women, 16 for men and three co-educational. The department is committed to providing its more than 1,000 student-athletes with the finest in academic and athletics support in order to ensure a quality and life-enhancing experience. The Department of Athletics is completely self-supporting and receives no university monies, tax dollars or student fees. In Fiscal Year 2008-09, the Department of Athletics will transfer back to the University more than $26 million in assessments, including nearly $13 million in grant-in-aid costs.