Get ready for the Skull Sessions with the OSU Marching Band at Ohio State University football games! Plus, you can watch TBDBITL rehearse before the season starts!
Read below for details on how you can watch The Ohio State Marching Band this year – for free!
photo courtesy: The Ohio State University Marching Band
Ohio State Football Tickets can be hard to come by and expensive. You can still get into the game spirit by attending TBDBITL Skull Sessions before each home game at St. John Arena with the Ohio State Marching Band.
It’s one of the most anticipated parts of game day!
Heading down to campus? Check out our guide to Ohio State Football Games and Tailgating on OSU Campus.
TBDBITL Rehearsals
Starting late August, you can catch The Ohio State University Band daily rehearsals from 4:10-6:15 pm at Lincoln Tower Field just south of Ohio Stadium. The band is usually outside by 4:45 pm for rehearsals. Stop by and see why they are called “The Best Damn Band in the Land”!
Rehearsals are great for those who want enjoy the band, but can’t make it to Skull Sessions or football games. Weekday rehearsals last through the whole season, but may be impacted by weather and holidays.
Skull Sessions with The Ohio State Marching Band
This pre-game pep rally and concert will get you ready to cheer on those Buckeyes – and best of all – it’s FREE!
The band marches from Ohio Stadium to St. John Arena 2.5 hours before the start of the game, where they’ll entertain at the Skull Session, featuring the coaches and the Ohio State Buckeye Football Team, along with special guest bands. The sessions start 2 hours and 20 minutes before kickoff.
Coach Ryan Day and the football team arrive as the band plays “Fanfare for a New Era” to speak briefly to the fans before they head to the locker rooms. The band continues to entertain and performs a final musical run-through of its pregame and halftime shows, previewing the soundtrack the band will be performing in The ‘Shoe that day.
Seats are in demand, so you need to arrive early! Doors open 2 hours before each session begins. After the Skull Session, they’ll march back to Ohio Stadium for the pregame show and the Ohio State Buckeye football game and amazing halftime show.
Before you enter St. John Arena, you’ll go through security screen and inspection through a metal detector. No bags permitted in the Arena; only wristlets/wallets no larger than 5x8x1 are allowed.
See the football players walk to the skull session and Ohio Stadium
If you can’t make it early enough to get a seat for the Skull Session, but want to enjoy some of the game day spirit, you can watch the football walk to the Skull Session and Ohio Stadium!
The Ohio State Football Team will walk from the Blackwell Hotel to the Skull Session about 2.5 hours before kickoff. Cheer them on along the walkway between the Blackwell and St. John Arena, which is located between the ROTC building and ROTC Remembrance Park.
The players will touch the monument in Remembrance Park inscribed with “service, tradition, academics and athletics” as they pass by. The monument was donated by Jim Tressel and his wife.
The team will walk from St. John Arena to Ohio Stadium approximately 2 hours before game time, with fans cheering them on along the walkway.
Parking in the area is not free on game day, but scope out free or cheap parking, ride the bus, or hop on the Olentangy Bike Trail (which leads to campus). Check out our article with OSU game day tips.
2023 Skull Sessions at The Ohio State Football home games
Follow along of TBDBITL Facebook page for updates and announcements. Skull session times marked at TBA will begin 2.5 hours before kickoff, once times have been announced. See schedule
- September 9: 9:40 a.m. (YSU at noon)
- September 16: 1:40 p.m. (Western Kentucky at 4 pm)
- October 7: tba (Maryland tba)
- October 21: tba (Penn State tba)
- November 11: 5:10 pm (Michigan State at 7:30 pm)
- November 18: tba (Minnesota tba)
See Ohio State football schedule for updates on tba times.
Guide to Ohio State Football Games and Tailgating on OSU Campus
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Val says
You got me… Out of 6+ times that word was mentioned, I had an ‘s’ on one of them. Good catch.
Bucks Fan says
Seriously “….efore each home game at St. Johns Arena ..” Have you ever even been to Ohio State to St JOHN Arena. NOT St JOHNS arena.
admin says
I’m not affiliated with the event, but I do know that parking passes aren’t typically free (or easy to get) on game day, and you’d likely need to bring your own wheelchair. There are tens of thousands of people on campus for game day and it’s not possible for the University to accommodate everyone who may need assistance. Perhaps if you call the university, you’ll be able to find a more accurate answer.
Cathy Drake says
Is there handicap parking for skull sessions and a wheelchair to take me up to the doors?