Colleges

It's early, but Buckeye fans getting ready for 'Horns

By TIMES WIRES
Published August 26, 2006

AUSTIN, Texas - Ohio State has been allotted just 4,000 tickets to sell to its fans for the Sept. 9 showdown with the Texas Longhorns, but there will be far more people wearing scarlet and gray in Austin that weekend.

"We're projecting 35,000 or 40,000 people," said Bruce Brandel, vice president of the Austin chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association.

If things go as they've planned, fans of the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will take over UT's Erwin Center, partying at Stubb's Bar-B-Q, cruising on boat tours, watching the bats and going on pub crawls.

"It's not uncommon for fans to just want to be where the team and other fans are, especially when it's a big game, out of state, against a highly ranked opponent," Brandel said. "People will treat it like a minivacation."

Most of them probably won't even get into Royal-Memorial Stadium for the game - a matchup of college football's top two teams in the Associated Press preseason poll that's being touted as an early barometer in the national championship race.

"You'll probably have 10,000 people coming down hoping to get a ticket at the last minute," said Randy Cohen, owner of Ticket City. "This is giant, $1,000 a ticket? We used to pay $5 at Randalls. I could see 30 or 40K (Ohio State fans). These guys will drive their suburban tanks down here. I don't know where we're going to put them. It could be like Halloween."

Actually, their aim is to turn Austin into a slice of Columbus, at least for one weekend.

On game day in Columbus, one of the highlights is the Skull Session for the Ohio State band - a combination dress rehearsal/pep rally held a few blocks from the stadium at St. John Arena, once the basketball facility for Ohio State.

Hmm ... The Erwin Center, where the Longhorns play basketball, is a few blocks away from Royal-Memorial Stadium.

For $10,000, the Ohio State Alumni Association has rented the 16,000-seat Erwin Center for an afternoon pregame party on Sept. 9 to get ready for the primetime game.

Erwin Center director John Graham said some other visiting schools have rented a part of the building, but he can't remember anyone ever taking the whole place.

"We'll play for our alumni and friends and then march over to the stadium," said Ohio State band director Jon R. Woods, who is bringing his entire 225-piece ensemble.

Two-time Heisman Trophy-winner and current Ohio State alumni president Archie Griffin is expected to speak at the Erwin Center event. And the Buckeye Corner, a popular Ohio State T-shirt and souvenir vendor, will be setting up shop there.

In Columbus, about the only pre-game tradition better than the Skull Session is the partying at the Varsity Club bar, which on game days has a big outdoor lot packed with beer drinkers.

So, with some help from the Varsity Club, the Buckeyes have lined up Stubb's, the combination barbecue joint and music venue on Red River Street, for Friday night and Saturday.

Many Buckeyes will end up at a hotel, restaurant or bar and watch the game on TV with their scarlet and gray friends. Last year for the first Texas-Ohio State game, police in Columbus estimated that 100,000 fans were partying around the stadium, in addition to the 100,000 inside the stadium.

"Austin and UT have never experienced anything like Buckeye Nation descending on them!" the site www.gobucksbeattexas.com warns.

LSU: Freshman back Richard Murphy, an all-state running back last year in high school, has been cleared by the NCAA and can report to the campus immediately.

STANFORD: The Division I women's basketball committee reprimanded and fined the school for the antics of its tree mascot during the NCAA Tournament in March.

The mascot also was suspended for the Cardinal's next appearance in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

The tree refused to leave the court at halftime of Stanford's victory over Florida State on March 20 in Denver, and the NCAA also cited "violation of multiple tournament policies regarding bands, cheerleaders and mascots" in its announcement, giving no more details. At the time, the tree reportedly was suspended for Stanford's next game in the regional semifinals.

WOMEN'S SOCCER: Tampa won its opener 5-1 over visiting Armstrong Atlantic. Shelby Kuni scored the first two goals for the Spartans. Marissa Mohammed, Sally Eagleton and Samantha Robinson added goals in the second half to seal the victory. Robinson, UT's all-time career leader in assists, also registered three assists. ... Goals from sophomores Jenna Levenson and Rachel Rigamat gave Miami a 2-0 win over Central Florida at Cobb Stadium in Miami.

MEN'S SOCCER: A header by sophomore Joris Claessens led USF to a 1-0 victory over Florida International in the opener for both teams.

VOLLEYBALL: Redshirt freshman middle blocker Kristina Johnson finished with match-highs in kills (12) and points (14) as Florida won its 35th consecutive match against instate foes, 30-14, 30-17, 30-15 against South Florida in the Aquafina Invitational. Today, South Florida faces Arkansas State with the Gators taking on Utah. ... Second-ranked Tampa improved to 3-0 with a pair of victories in the Tampa Classic. The Spartans recorded a pair of 3-0 victories over St. Edwards (Texas) and Northern Kentucky in the second of three days of action. ... Florida State stopped a Mercer rally and mounted a comeback to win Game 2 and go on to a 3-0 sweep (30-17, 30-28, 30-17). The win was the Seminoles' second of the day as they beat Mississippi Valley State earlier. ... Senior outside hitter Maina Heming recorded a double double with 12 kills and 12 digs as Central Florida opened with a 3-0 victory (30-14, 30-19, 30-26) over visiting Stetson.

[Last modified August 26, 2006, 02:10:57]