Why Did Ohio State Have Senior Day In Week 1 Against Ball State?

It’s the first full week of the college football season, which means it’s time to honor the seniors who are playing in their final home game.

Wait, what?

The No. 1 AP ranked Ohio State Buckeyes held their Senior Day celebration prior to the 2026 season opener against the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. But Senior Day usually takes place in a team’s last home game of the season.

Ohio State moved its Senior Day ceremony from the home finale against the Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 28 to the home opener against Ball State Saturday because its 2024 Senior Day was clouded by the Buckeyes and Wolverines getting into a post-game scuffle that involved law enforcement after Michigan tried to plant a team flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium.

“We talked about it and had long conversations about [moving Senior Day]. The traditions at Ohio State here are significant and very strong and something that we all respect. When we look at all the things that go on that weekend [Michigan week], the way things have changed, there are some things that we thought about,” head coach Ryan Day said in August about moving the Senior Day celebration.

“The more distractions we have, there’s already enough distractions that week. This was just one more thing that we could move.”

Ohio State recognized 31 seniors on Saturday afternoon.

Elsewhere, Ohio State inducted former head coach Jim Tressel into the program’s Ring of Honor. Tressel was Ohio State’s head coach from 2001-10, with the Buckeyes winning the 2002 BCS championship, going a combined 106-22 and posting eight double-digit-winning seasons with him as head coach. He’s also third in program history among coaches with 106 wins and fourth with an 82.8% winning percentage.

Tressel is just the third coach (Woody Hayes and Paul Brown being the other two) and 10th person altogether to be put in the Buckeyes’ Ring of Honor.