A few of the many outstanding sports figures who were student athletes at Ohio State include Jesse Owens, "The Buckeye Bullet," (track and field), John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, and Katie Smith (basketball), Frank Howard (baseball), Jack Nicklaus (golf), Archie Griffin (football running back, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner), and Chic Harley (three-time All-American football running back). Hall of Fame coaches at Ohio State have included Paul Brown and Woody Hayes (football), Fred Taylor (men's basketball). Notable sports figures in Ohio State history may be inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame.
For any Buckeye fan, it is a thrill to work with the Athletic Department on any project, but for an alumnus of THE Ohio State University, it brings back all of the memories of those Saturdays at the ‘shoe, and The Excellence, The People, and The Traditions. There have been many notable projects with which Aurora has had the pleasure and pride to collaborate with the Buckeyes. Some are bullet-pointed below:
- The Woody Hayes Athletic Center (The WHAC) was just being completed when Ryan Miller (Will Linebacker # ) contacted us to create large murals in each of the position coaches’ offices to feature past Buckeye great players. The Buckeyes won the National Championship that year, under Coach Jim Tressel. We feel partially responsible!
- Aurora was one of the sponsors of the Columbus Sports Commission’s “Morning Sports Report” when the four living Heisman Trophy Buckeyes were featured. We designed and produced a large backdrop with the player’s images from their playing days, which all four men signed! It was used for photos with the players and raised money for the Sports Commission and has also helped to raise money for cancer research on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. Priceless!
- Football and Basketball Media backdrops, including a complete reboot of the basketball “Fan Zone” where we engaged attendees to compare their hand size, shoe size, “wingspan” and vertical leap with the likes of Terrence Dials and Jessica Davenport. They could also read about the pre-game rituals of the Men’s hockey team, including “peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and calling my Mom”.
- An 80’x95’ banner was created and installed in the “South Stands” in just a matter of days to celebrate Coach Urban Meyer’s National Champions. It was later used on the side of the Royal Caribbean ship to welcome “cruisers” to the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer; that year dubbed – the National ChampionSHIP!
Working with the teams is always a thrill. We have done projects with …
- Women’s Field Hockey
- Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey
- Men’s and Women’s Tennis
- Men’s Lacrosse
- The Best Damn Band in the Land
…and with Men’s & Women’s Golf when the Dennis Practice Facility was built at the Scarlet & Gray golf course . Aurora worked with the Athletic Department for the Brandscaping of the facility, and then with each team to create memorable and meaningful team lounges and locker rooms.
We’ve also partnered with Athletics on:
- Evening of Extraordinary Experiences
- Buckeyes Care Initiative
- Huntington Club elevators
- Pink Game
- The FAN - Tressel Call-in Show
- Sponsor Activation through IMG
We’ve enjoyed sports marketing so much that we exhibited at the NCAA annual conferences, as well as the National Sports Forum where we picked up work with the San Francisco 49ers!
