"Build it for Loyalty, for Spirit,…

"Build it for Loyalty, for Spirit,…. . , The Ohio State University Buckeye football team first played in autumn 1890 on a field immediately to the south of where Ohio Stadium now stands. Buckeye football games were later played at other locations, including Ohio Field, constructed in 1898 near the intersection of North High St. and West Woodruff Ave., which seated 500 spectators., In 1912, Ohio State entered the "Big Ten" Western Athletic Conference and demand for spectator seating at Ohio Field Conference and demand for spectator seating at Ohio Field began to grow. The Buckeyes won the 1916 and 1917 Big Ten Championships with fan-favorite Charles "Chic" Harley, a graduate of Columbus East High School and OSU's first All-American. By 1919, seating capacity at Ohio Field had increased to 14,000. The success of Buckeye football in that era generated a dedicated community of fans who would be crucial to the eventual realization of Ohio Stadium., As early as 1915, Professor Thomas E. French, head of the Department of Engineering and chairman of the University Athletic Board, had promoted the idea of a large capacity stadium and athletic complex for the University. French envisioned the stadium as a grand architectural symbol for Ohio State and emphasized the relationship of athletics to the well-being of the student body. University President William Oxley Thompson and Director of Athletics Lynn w. St. John embraced French's vision for a large capacity stadium. The trio lobbied the University Board of Trustees, requesting support for preliminary studies for a new stadium.,

"Build it for Loyalty, for Spirit, for Courage, for Grandeur, for Strength, for OHIO." , The Ohio State Lantern Oct. 18, 1920.