A Girl’s Glimpse of the Game: Buckeye Grove Has Lost Its Groove
By Jessica Piazza
TWIF Featured Columnist
Jessica Piazza/TWIF
The Ohio State University has several traditions that have carried on throughout the years.
Some traditions are easily recognized, signifying important events in OSU’s history.
Others, however, are much less prominent.
While all of OSU’s traditions are meaningful, they do not all share the same familiarity. And there is one, in particular, that I think could use a little more publicity.
So let’s take a look at some well-known (and not-so-well-known) traditions of The Ohio State University.
Probably the most recognized tradition, Michigan Week, began in 1935, and is characterized by spirited public service events, rallies and festivities – including the jump into Mirror Lake (which is a very celebrated tradition in itself).
Block ‘O’ originated in 1938 as the “Official Cheering Section” of the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium.
Buckeye Leaf
And the buckeye leaves that adorn the players’ helmets is a tradition that began in 1967, awarded for making noteworthy plays and consistency of performance.
There is one tradition, though, that predates all of these, yet does not seem to have mustered the same popularity.
That is, the tradition of Buckeye Grove.
Buckeye Grove started in 1934 and honors “First Team All-America” winners from the Buckeye football program dating back to 1914.
In recognition of their talent and abilities, a buckeye tree is planted each time a new player earns the All-American status.
Aerial View of Buckeye Grove
To date, 172 Buckeyes have been named All-Americans. The memorial is located at the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium next to Morrill Tower.
In my first year at OSU, I lived in Morrill Tower.
I must have walked past that tree-lined sidewalk nearly every day, yet nothing about it stood out to me.
And when I recently revisited the site, I realized why. The area is just so shabby – with many rusty and tarnished plaques, some even without a tree to accompany them.
Eddie George's Tarnished Buckeye Grove Plaque
Another thing that is obvious is there are certainly not enough trees and plaques to correspond with the number of OSU’s First Team All-American football players. On the whole, it’s evident that Buckeye Grove has seen better days.
After a little digging, I found out that Buckeye Grove is a work in progress (although none has been made over the past few years).
Currently, there are only 126 trees planted in Buckeye Grove.
Apparently, due to the Ohio Stadium renovation and construction of the Recreational and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) on the university’s campus, there hasn’t been a tree planted or plaque laid down since 2005.
Being selected as a First Team All-American is an outstanding honor.
Chic Harley - Three-Time All-American (1916, 1917, 1919) - The 'Shoe is widely known as "The House That Harley Built"
Only those considered to be the best players in the nation for that season are awarded with the title, and they most certainly should be recognized by their school.
After all, that’s what Buckeye Grove set out to do in the first place. Thankfully, there are plans to give the area a facelift in the near future.
An employee of OSU’s athletic grounds section confirmed that an additional 41 trees are to be planted before the end of the year. And 15 damaged or missing plaques are set to be replaced, as well. Needless to say, it is a much-needed restoration that is long overdue.
But what will happen when the All-American list grows so large that the allotted space can no longer occupy it? With at least one player being named All-American every year since 1991, it is only a matter of time. Well, luckily OSU’s facility operations are devising a plan now for that very situation.
If Buckeye Grove remains in its current location, there is talk of players sharing buckeye trees.
The Planting of Another Buckeye Tree in Buckeye Grove - 1949
But more favorably, they would like to move Buckeye Grove to a larger location possibly near the Woody Hayes Center. Either way, they should get the ball rolling as soon as possible if the last five years are any indication of the progress they will make over the next five.
As a way of honoring some of OSU’s greatest athletes, the tradition of Buckeye Grove deserves to be regarded and maintained for years to come.
For a complete list of the 172 Buckeye All-Americans, check out The Ohio State University’s 2009 Spring Football Media Guide (page 146) at:
