With the Ohio State and Michigan men’s hockey programs set to play an outdoor game later this month at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, the grounds crew has painted the end zones to match the designs at Ohio Stadium and Michigan Stadium, respectively.
The Buckeyes’ end zone is scarlet with a white wordmark outlined in gray, matching the design that was installed in Columbus prior to the 2022 season, while the Wolverines’ end zone is blue with a maize wordmark, although it doesn’t go sideline to sideline like it does in Ann Arbor.
Presumably, the logo for the “Faceoff on the Lake,” the first-ever hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium, will be placed at center ice of the rink, which stretches from 18-yard line to 18-yard line. That logo features both Ohio State and Michigan’s primary marks, as well as a likeness of the venue.
This marks the second outdoor meeting between the two programs, as the Wolverines knocked off the Buckeyes, 4-1, at Progressive Field – home of the Cleveland Guardians – on Jan. 15, 2012. Michigan is 4-2-1-1 all-time in outdoor games, while Ohio State is 0-3.
The “Faceoff on the Lake” will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. on Feb. 18. The Buckeyes and Wolverines split their two-game series in Ann Arbor last month and will play one game in Columbus on Feb. 16 before heading to Cleveland for their final matchup of the season.
Photo courtesy of @Browns on Twitter.