Ohio State University athletic director Ross Bjork held a press conference Tuesday to share the results of a nine-month "reimagining" of the gameday experience at Ohio Stadium, but critics feel some things are better left alone.
Ryan Stano of Scarlet&Game wrote, "Bjork revealed his most egregious offense of all since taking the athletic director job over from a retiring Gene Smith. He has ended a beloved Ohio State football tradition that has been around for decades.
"According to Bjork, Hang On Sloopy will no longer be played by the band at the start of the fourth quarter, a tradition that has been around for decades. Instead, Bjork said the band will play the iconic song 'whenever we need it the most,' which is ridiculous.
"That's not the only tradition he's changing. The Buckeyes are ringing the Victory Bell before games start instead of after wins. Instead of signaling victories, it could end up signaling losses, depending on the outcome of the game."
In all, an OSU athletic department statement released Tuesday innumerates 10 traditions and tweaks under the Tradition Evolved initiative, "the department's commitment to aligning Ohio Stadium's energy with the passion of the people in it."
"Tradition at Ohio State is our North Star," Bjork said. "As this process unfolded, we wanted to protect and honor our tradition while also evolving it with purpose, passion, and with Buckeye Nation at the heart of it."
"After all, with new leadership under Bjork and an exciting example set during the College Football Playoffs home game against Tennessee in December, the athletics department was reminded that Ohio Stadium at its best is unmatched," the statement continued.
As reported by Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors, when asked why Ohio State has adopted these changes, Bjork said, “It felt like we were missing something for people to grab onto.”
Sounds like some are reluctant to let go of what they had all along.
