The final week of the 2014 OHSAA football season has arrived and 14 teams have earned the right to play for a state championship in Ohio Stadium. After 723 teams began the season in August and 224 earned playoff berths, these 14 teams have advanced through four weeks of the playoffs and will now end their season in Ohio Stadium, which is hosting the championships for the first time since 1989.

Championship Games Return to Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium hosted 47 OHSAA playoff games from 1972-1989, with 37 of those being state championship games. When natural grass was installed in Ohio Stadium in 1990, the OHSAA was asked to move its football state championships to another location. The OHSAA found a home in Stark County, with Canton Fawcett Stadium and Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium sharing the state championship games for the last 24 years. When FieldTurf was installed in Ohio Stadium in 2008, the conversation began to have the games return to the famous “Horseshoe” stadium. The OHSAA state championship games in 2014 and 2015 will be hosted in Ohio Stadium. The location of the finals after 2015 has not yet been determined.

State Championships Schedule

Thursday, Dec. 4

7:30 p.m. – Division III, Athens (14-0) vs. Toledo Central Catholic (12-2)

Friday, Dec. 5

10 a.m. – Division IV, Cleveland Benedictine (13-1) vs. Kettering Archbishop Alter (14-0)

3 p.m. – Division VI, Kirtland (14-0) vs. Minster (11-3)

8 p.m. – Division II, Macedeonia Nordonia (14-0) vs. Cincinnati LaSalle (13-1)

Saturday, Dec. 6

10 a.m. – Division VII, Norwalk St. Paul (13-1) vs. Maria Stein Marion Local (14-0)

3 p.m. – Division I, Huber Heights Wayne (13-1) vs. Lakewood St. Edward (12-2)

8 p.m. – Division V, Canton Central Catholic (14-0) vs. Coldwater (12-1)

State Championships Tickets

Single-Game Tickets: Purchase at one of the participating schools for $10, at Gate 5 of Ohio Stadium before the game, or online at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Ohsaa-Boys-State-Football-Finals-tickets/artist/1979202?tm_link=seo_bc_name

All-session ticket packages for the state championship games in Ohio Stadium went on sale last summer and are available from the Greater Columbus Sports Commission www.ColumbusSports.org.