After a long offseason of waiting, Ohio State’s spring game is finally here, but the most formidable opponent Ryan Day’s team will face on Saturday isn’t on the field; it’s in the sky. It’s a cruel twist. You wait all spring to see 51 new faces and a new offensive identity. But now there’s a chance you might not even see it at all.
There’s a storm literally brewing, as reported by NBC4’s Storm Team. Chief meteorologist Dave Mazza confirmed a cold front slicing across the Midwest is dragging instability with it. This means that by the time the noon kickoff rolls around, the sky could open up in Columbus.
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“For the game tomorrow, we’re going to be watching as a few isolated showers start to develop around the start of the game,” he said. “We could have some thunderstorms in the area as well. It will, however, be warm.”
This is concerning because while you can play through light rain, thunder and lightning are a different conversation. The Weather Channel also predicts about a 30% chance of rain at kickoff, rising to 40% shortly after. That alone wouldn’t be a deal-breaker, but with the possibility of a severe thunderstorm layered on top, it shrouds the entire event in uncertainty.
December 31, 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes huddle up during the 2nd half of the NCAA, College League, USA Football game between Miami FL Hurricanes the and Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. /CSM Arlington US – ZUMAc04_ 20251231_zma_c04_264 Copyright: xMatthewxLynchx
The most frustrating part of it is that there’s no real backup plan. Moving indoors to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center might be an option, but only if you’re ready to sacrifice some things. Like broadcast, limited access, and a scaled-down version of what this day is supposed to be. So, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the spring game might simply not happen to keep 40,000 fans safe.
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NBC4’s Anna Hoffman met with Ohio State’s emergency management team, who are already on high alert. Director Robert Armstrong said they’re in constant contact with the National Weather Service, tracking every shift, every cell, every lightning strike that could creep too close to campus. And if lightning does enter the picture, everything stops.
“If we happen to see lightning coming close to campus, we will delay the play on the field to make sure everybody’s safe and ask people to go into the concourses after that,” he said. “After about 30 minutes of the last lightning strike, and will resume play.”
That’s standard protocol, but in a volatile weather setup like this, those delays could happen. There’s even precedent here. Back in 2018, Ohio State had to move up its spring game just to dodge incoming storms. As Armstrong added, this isn’t an NCAA-regulated game, so the university has flexibility. If the weather gets worse, they can shorten it or cancel it entirely. His message for fans is to come prepared with rain gear, like the scarlet raincoat.
Because this is a scrimmage and not an official NCAA-sanctioned game, Ohio State holds all the cards. If heavy storms stall over Columbus, officials won’t hesitate to pull the plug entirely rather than force fans into hours of concourse delays.
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“We want to make sure that you have a good experience hearing that you go home safe at the end,” he said. “And this is one way we do that.”
The weather uncertainty is all the more frustrating because this intriguing, new-look Buckeyes squad is finally set to take center stage, but only if the sky allows it.
Ohio State’s spring festivities hang in the weather
Ohio State’s 2026 Spring Game was built to be a full-on production. As Ryan Day said, it will be offense vs. defense, Scarlet vs. Gray, catering to a national audience. Gates open at 10:30 a.m with the Buckeye Walk following shortly after. By kickoff, the spotlight shifts to a roster loaded with transitions.
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At WR, the room still revolves around Jeremiah Smith, even with Carnell Tate gone. But the next wave is under the microscope, led by freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd. The defense, too, is different now that Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs are NFL-bound. But transfers like James Smith and Qua Russaw are the ones to watch. The secondary has teeth with Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez, while Earl Little Jr. pushes into the mix.
It’s a roster with real stakes and intrigue. That’s why it stings that the biggest variable is precipitation, because spring games matter in giving fans something tangible to believe in. And right now, that belief is stuck with nature playing a big role.
