Ohio State basketball’s home court has a new look this fall, and the changes are hard to miss.
When the Buckeyes opened preseason practice on Monday, the Schottenstein Center was already showing off its offseason upgrades: a new scoreboard hanging over the main floor and larger, brighter ribbon boards wrapping the court. The result is a more energized feel inside the arena as both the men’s and women’s teams begin work for the year.
Ohio State gave the media its first look at the revamped setup on Monday during the opening day of practice, offering a clear view of the scoreboard and the new ribbon boards in place.
The updates go beyond the visuals, too. The school also put in a new audio system this offseason, replacing the original 27-year-old sound system “with a modern, performance-driven design that includes new line arrays, a new back-of-house audio system, mixing console, and support infrastructure located 135 feet above the court.”
The work at the Schott was finished this summer and carried a $5.2 million price tag approved by the Board of Trustees last year.
The new scoreboard will make its game debut when Ohio State men’s hockey hosts Augustana in its home opener on Oct. 23. Basketball will follow soon after, with the first game in the renovated building set for Oct. 25, when the Buckeye men play Butler in a preseason exhibition.
The women will be first to use it in an official basketball game, hosting UIC on Nov. 2.
The men’s first home game of the regular season comes a few days later, when Ohio State welcomes Youngstown State on Nov. 6.
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