Jim Tressel’s place in Ohio State history got another permanent marker Saturday, when the Buckeye icon was enshrined in the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor during the season opener against Ball State.
Tressel is now just the third coach to receive the distinction, joining Paul Brown and Woody Hayes. It’s also the first new name added to the Ring of Honor since 2014, with the display located in the C-Deck of the southeast corner of Ohio Stadium.
The honor fits the résumé Tressel built during his Ohio State run from 2001 to 2010. He delivered a 2002 national championship, six Big Ten titles, a 9-1 record against Michigan, and produced 67 NFL Draft picks, including 14 first-round selections.
Before kickoff, Tressel was surrounded by fans on the sidelines, then recognized in the stadium after the first quarter. He said the moment brought him back to the people around the program as much as any individual achievement.
“It just reminds you what great players you had and coaches, and great fans, and band, and media and everyone else,” Tressel said. “We’re just blessed.”
Tressel also met privately with Ryan Day before the game and offered his support for the current coach. He said Day and his staff are handling a roster with 51 new players, and he sees the matchup ahead as a useful early test.
“I’ll tell you, Coach Day and his staff do an amazing job,” Tressel said. “Lot of new faces, so they’ve got to get together. This will be a good one to find out a little bit about ourselves before we go to Texas.”
Day, for his part, pointed to the way Tressel shaped players beyond Saturdays in the fall.
"Coach Tressel's success on the field was remarkable, but what stands out most to me is how he invested in people,” Day said. “He understood that coaching is much more than the game as it is about developing leaders, building character, and preparing young men for the challenges they'll face in life after football.”
Among the players Tressel coached were Troy Smith, A.J. Hawk, Nick Mangold, Santonio Holmes, and James Laurinaitis, now Ohio State’s linebackers coach.
Tressel still keeps a close eye on the program, and when asked about the 2026 roster, he made his choice clear: Jeremiah Smith. The junior wide receiver and captain has 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown receptions, the most by any Big Ten receiver in his first two college seasons.
Beyond football, Tressel remains active in Columbus. He is Ohio’s lieutenant governor and also previously served as president of Youngstown State University.
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