Football in Columbus, Ohio

Football in Columbus

Football is big in Columbus. Really big. The Ohio State Buckeyes reign supreme, but the game’s history runs much deeper. Did you know the first NFL game was played in Columbus?

Ohio State vs. Michigan

"The Game" has been played in Columbus 58 times as of 2022.

The Classic For Columbus

An HCBU rivalry game was played at Ohio Stadium in September 2021 between Kentucky State and Central State.

College Gameday in Columbus September 2022

ESPN College GameDay

The hit college football pre-game show has been to Columbus 23 times, more than any other city.

State Championships

Across all divisions, Columbus has hosted 73 OHSAA championship games.

Fast Facts

The NFL Headquarters was in Columbus from 1927 through 1939. The building still stands at 16 E. Broad Street.
More than 40,000 boys play high school football in Ohio, which is the third most of any state after Texas and California. Additionally, 191 girls played last season, which is the fifth most.
The Columbus Panhandles played in the first NFL game vs. the Dayton Triangles. The team was a charter member of the American Professional Football Association which later became the National Football League (NFL)
Six Columbus area colleges have sent players to the NFL – Ohio Dominican (1), Kenyon College (2), Otterbein (6), Denison (11), Ohio Wesleyan (14) and Ohio State (525).

Local Teams

Parris Campbell Jr. scores a touchdown for Ohio State

Through 2022, the Buckeyes have 953 wins, 39 Big Ten titles and eight national championships. They've produced 10 Pro Football Hall of Famers and 525 NFL players. There's no doubt OSU is among the college football elite. In 2022, they're back in the CFP chasing another championship.

Columbus Chaos

The Chaos debuted in Division 2 of the Women’s Football Alliance in 2022. Though they're the newest team in Columbus, the city has a long history in women's football. In the 1970s, the Columbus Pacesetters made history as not just a team fielded by women, but also owned by women.

High School

Since 2000, eight central Ohio schools have taken home titles in their respective divisions. That list includes Bishop Hartley, Pickerington Central, Hilliard Davidson, Columbus Brookhaven, Bishop Watterson, the Columbus Academy, Upper Arlington and Columbus Grove.