COLUMBUS – Puns aside, today is a new day for the Ohio State football program as new head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the practice fields at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the beginning of spring drills.
The practice sessions will culminate in the annual Spring Game at Ohio Stadium at noon on Saturday, April 13.
Tickets for the 2019 LifeSports Spring Game, presented by Nationwide, went on sale on Feb. 22. General admission prices are $5, plus there will be a limited number of $15 reserved club seats.
Along the way, Day will hold practices March 6 and 8 before taking a week off between March 11th and 15th for spring break. Practices will resume Tuesday, March 19 and continue for the next four weeks.
Students are invited to attend the seventh student appreciation day practice March 23.
Among other challenges in his first season as the 25th head coach in OSU history, Day will try to replace Dwayne Haskins, a prolific passer who opted to leave for the NFL draft where he is projected to be among the first players selected.
The front-runner to replace him is Justin Fields, a transfer from Georgia who will be eligible to play as a sophomore. Fields, from Kennesaw, Ga. played in 12 games last season for Georgia.
Not all of the 18 newcomers Day signed to national letters of intent will attend spring practices, leaving more questions to remain unanswered until the summer.
The Buckeyes are coming off a tumultuous 13-1 season that saw former head coach Urban Meyer suspended for the first three games of the season, during which Day served as acting head coach, winning all three games, and the announcement of Meyer’s retirement after the team’s 28-23 win over Washington at the Rose Bowl. He named Day as his successor.
The Buckeyes begin the 2019 season at home against Florida Atlantic August 31.