Ohio State is opening up the first four practices of training camp to the public... or, at least a certain section of the public. In reality, Ohio State is opening up practices to the portion of the public willing to pay $50 to watch their favorite team practice.
That's how much Ohio State will charge to watch its practices from Aug. 1-4. That $50 also buys fans "a pair of commemorative 2024 Ohio State training camp sunglasses" and access to the "family-friendly Fanfest." The Buckeyes will sell 750 tickets to each practice, with a limit of 10 tickets per order.
While I have no doubt Ohio State will sell all 3,000 tickets available to the four practices, I have to question the sanity of those purchasing at such a value. Tickets to the spring game went for as low as $10, and as of this writing tickets to all three non-conference games -- Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall -- can be had for around $50 (plus fees).
But, those games, while offering the opportunity to see Ohio State play a competitive game against another opponent, do not come with a complimentary pair of commemorative training camp sunglasses. So, point training camp.
Of course, the real selling point here is that Ohio State offers not just access, but ownership. Per Eleven Warriors, the tickets are being sold by Ohio State Sports Properties, not the Ohio State athletics department, with proceeds benefitting the Buckeyes' NIL efforts. In an age where fans are asked to fund a team's payroll and programs can't get directly involved (at least not yet), a common tactic has been for teams to sell access through a third party.
For fans looking for more exclusive access, Ohio State also offers access to the Ryan Day Kickoff Luncheon, which includes remarks from Day and a Q&A with the coaching staff. A table for eight can be had for the low price of $2,500.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.