Legendary Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel will have his name immortalized along the banks of the Olentangy.
Ohio State announced Tuesday that Tressel, who led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship and compiled a 9-1 record against Michigan, will be inducted into the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor during Ohio State's season opener against Ball State on Sept. 5.
Lt. Governor, Jim Tressel Set to be Enshrined in Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor ️
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 23, 2026
Tressel, Will be honored at Ohio State's season opener on Sept. 5 inside Ohio Stadium
@LtGovJimTressel | @OhioStAthletics pic.twitter.com/8TGTRtATAS
Tressel's name will join that of fellow legendary Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes, who won 13 Big Ten championships and five national titles while leading the program from 1951-78. Their plaques sit across the field from one honoring Paul Brown, another football icon who guided the Buckeyes to their first national championship in 1942.
"Growing up in Ohio, Ohio Stadium was about as special a place as there could be for a Buckeye fan. Then, when you have the privilege of spending so many years on the field as a coach, you never really think about something like this. You just try to honor the tradition, respect the responsibility that comes with it, and do your very best each day," Tressel said in an Ohio State press release. "I grew up admiring Paul Brown and Woody Hayes, and they both meant so much to our family. To be recognized alongside these men is truly humbling. Thank you to Ellen and our entire family, our players, our coaches and support staff, TBDBITL, and the entire Buckeye Nation for the support over the years. I'm grateful to have been a small part of such a special tradition, and I will be forever grateful to Andy Geiger and President Brit Kirwan for giving us this extraordinary opportunity."
I’m honored to be part of this tradition and am truly humbled. pic.twitter.com/p5jAwAFuxJ
— Lt. Governor Jim Tressel (@LtGovJimTressel) June 23, 2026
Ohio State hired Tressel in 2001 after his decorated tenure at Youngstown State, where he led the Penguins to four Division I-AA national championships. In 10 seasons in Columbus, Tressel compiled a 106-23 record, won six Big Ten championships, made three BCS National Championship Game appearances and delivered Ohio State's first national title in 34 years with the program's memorable 2002 championship run.
Though Tressel resigned in 2011 amid the fallout from "Tattoogate," he has remained a visible presence around the program in recent years. From the 20th anniversary celebration of the 2002 national championship team to regular sideline appearances during games, Tressel has maintained a close connection to the university and its football program under head coach Ryan Day.
"Coach Tressel's success on the field was remarkable, but what stands out most to me is how he invested in people. 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," Day said in the press release. "We're building on the legacy he and all the outstanding leaders before us created for this historic program. His legacy will always be measured not just by what his teams accomplished, but by the countless lives he helped shape through his leadership and mentorship."
Now, every time Tressel returns to the Horseshoe, he'll be greeted by a permanent reminder of what he built at one of college football's premier programs — a place among Ohio State legends such as Hayes, Brown, Archie Griffin and the other icons whose names are forever etched inside Ohio Stadium.
