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.
2024 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 below for Skull Session start times.
- Saturday, August 31 at 1:40 PM: Akron
- Saturday, September 7 at 5:10 PM: Western Kentucky
- Saturday, September 21 at tba PM: Marshall
- Saturday, October 5 at tba PM: Iowa
- Saturday, October 26 at 9:40 AM: Nebraska
- Saturday, November 9 at 9:40: Purdue
- Saturday, November 23 at 9:40 AM: Indiana
- Saturday, November 30 at 9:40 AM: Michigan
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
Hi Jeff – I hope you have an amazing time! The Skull Session is at 1:40 at St. John Arena. After that, the band walks back to ‘Shoe. The doors for Ohio Stadium open 2 hours before kickoff. I personally don’t know the exact time they perform, but I suspect if you’re in your seats about 45 minutes before, you should have plenty of time. Allow for time to enter the stadium – there’s always a rush closer to game time!
Jeff says
I’m heading to the Minnesota game this Saturday. This will be my first OSU game in my 63 years and I couldn’t be more excited. Can you tell me what time I should be in my seat in order to watch TBDBITL’s pregame show for this 4PM game?