Men's Basketball

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Ground was broken April 2, 1996 for The Jerome Schottenstein Center - a testament to the vision of The Ohio State University Department of Athletics to provide modern, state of the art facilities for student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans - a commitment to excellence. After an aggressive construction schedule, the Center opened its doors November 3, 1998 for a Men’s basketball game. First and foremost, the Schottenstein Center is the home of the Buckeyes - the Ohio State Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams and Men’s Ice Hockey.  The 770,000 square foot multipurpose venue seats 17,500 for hockey, 19,500 for basketball and up to 20,000+ for concerts.  It is the largest arena in the Big Ten.

The Center's private Athletic team complex boasts a full service training room, weight room, and laundry. The basketball teams share a 15,000 square foot practice gymnasium tucked into the SW side of the Center with two full courts allowing the teams to practice the same day a concert is loading into the arena bowl. 

A unique feature of the Center is the six terazzo floorscapes.  The John Havelicek floorscape, located in the SW rotunda features the only non-scarlet and gray (blue) terrazzo representing the opponent’s jersey. The basketball in Havlicek’s hand is over 13 feet in diameter. A starter from 1960-1962, Havelicek accumulated a record of 78-6, played in three-consecutive Final Fours, the 1960 National Championship team and was a 1962 All-American. After his career with Ohio State, he played for the Boston Celtics and eventually entered the NBA Hall of Fame.

The inclusion of basketball and hockey in the Schottenstein Center terazzo floorscapes seems logical, but baseball? Baseball was the FIRST varsity sport at The Ohio State University - the image depicted in the NE rotunda of the 1890 baseball team actually features Buckeye basketball coach Fred Taylor, who played first base for the Buckeyes and became Ohio State’s first All-American baseball player in 1950.

Located just inside the NE Rotunda, the Fred Taylor Room was the result of a generous donation from many of the players who played under Fred at Ohio State.  As basketball Coach from 1959-1976, Fred Taylor earned a record 297 wins and 7 Big Ten Championships. Five teams earned NCAA berths and four teams advanced to the Final Four (1960 - National Champions, '61, '62 and '68).  A Buckeye tree on the wall bears the names of all the men who played for him.

• 3 ½ hours... approximately how long it takes to convert from basketball to hockey; 4 ½ hours ... approximately how long it takes to be converted from hockey to basketball
• 225 ... the number of 4' x 8' wooden floor pieces in the Buckeye's home court
• Interesting specs … showerheads in the Buckeye Basketball locker rooms are 9.5 feet high.
• One of the designers of the Schottenstein Center is Curt Moody (Moody/Nolan Ltd.), a former walk-on OSU basketball player, lettering in 1971, '72 and '73.