Schottenstein Center

Been to the Schott for multiple concerts. Its not a bad venue. My gripe would be that once you get to the upper levels its not very eye catching. Pretty much just concrete floors and walls.
But inside the arena its nice. The seats are comfortable and the views are all unobstructed.
Parking is also super easy IF you park at the old St Johns. Just a walk across the street. If you park in the free lot down by the baseball and soccer facilities you will be in for a walk.
Also, they have the usual inflated beer prices. I believe the last time it was 16oz for $ 9.00

The Schott is one of the venues I’ve visited multiple times for events (concerts, mainly) and it’s pretty okay. It’s clean, it’s huge but well-​marked. Staff is helpful.
My big gripe with the Schottenstein Center is the discomfort of the upper tier seating. The angle is so extreme that 1) it’s terrifying to get to your seat, especially if you’re sitting in the middle and need to climb over people (you basically feel like you will fall to your death at any moment – shout out to the nice man who didn’t complain when I kind of clutched him for dear life) and 2) your lack of leg room means that your legs are singing as loud as you are by the end of a concert. It’s not SO uncomfortable that I’ll NEVER go, but enough that I will only go when it’s someone I cannot miss.

Probably the worst place I have ever been to see a rock concert. Everything that epitomizes fake, plastic, yuppy-​wannabe trash. Terrible sound and inauthentic experience. I will never go back.

I got to go to the Schottenstein Center a few weeks ago for a Women’s Basketball game, and it was a pretty great experience. Admittedly, I might be a little biased because I was sitting in one of the nice box areas (shout out to my husband’s job!), but I think it was still pretty cool beyond that. Parking was pretty easy, and the food/​drinks were easily accessible and about as reasonably priced as one might expect for an arena. I definitely plan to return for future games and events.

Pretty solid venue. The reason why I gave a average rating is cause there is nothing special to bring it separate from other venues and of course prices for food/​drink and what not are sometimes not worth the money or even time. My suggestion? eat and drink things before you get there and don’t have incredibly high standards.

Thee home of the buckeye basketball & hockey team’s
I love me some Buckeyes always have always will.

Wow– I had never been to the Schott before last night. How did that happen? Well, they built it after I graduated, and life has been busy. Apparently none of the concerts here caught my attention (though Sweetie went to a boy band show here last year.)
I finally made it, for a hockey game, and had a blast. Of course, hockey doesn’t pack the place, so YMMV. Parking was pretty easy (and free.) The building itself is great– well-​laid-​out, clean, seemingly new but it’s, what, twenty years old now?
We wandered through the Buckeye Hall of Fame, and the gift shop. Bathrooms, concessions, and trash are all handled well. Service was great– I dealt with several staffers, and all were super friendly and helpful.
We sat pretty close, on comfortable folding chairs; looks like there is permanent seating higher up. You can get great seats for a hockey game for incredibly low prices compared to Nationwide, so check it out. The scoreboard and video screens were handled well, and the whole experience was great.
All in all we had a blast, and I hope to be back soon.

I really enjoy going to an event at the Schottenstein whenever I get a chance. There are so many elements to this location, I felt it was best suited to categorize the areas.
CLEANLINESS: The building is always very clean and beautifully constructed. Bathrooms are clean with plenty of amenities. The second floor hallways are carpeted and the walls and floors are adorned with custom art.
FOOD: They have quality eating options. I bought coffee from the Tim Horton’s counter. Although the coffee is pre-​set from a machine, it comes out perfectly every time. They also have traditional stadium food including: hot dogs, pizza, soda, beer, and pretzels.
STAFF: The staff is very friendly and shows you right to your seat. I even got a smile and a wave as I was walking out of the building, from a staff member.
EXPERIENCE: The events are always well constructed and the lighting and sound quality are great. Seating is semi-​comfortable and you can see the whole stage from pretty much any seat. Parking was easy and well-managed…not to mention, free! I felt safe and all aspects helped to enhance my event experience. I look forward to returning!

I put on for my city on on for my city, ladies and gentlemen put your hands up for the one the only LeBron James…
For a pre-​season game LeBron was killing it out there on the court last night. He must have made coach Blatt pretty happy. Speaking of coach Blatt, I had an exclusive opportunity after yesterdays game to hear him speak to a crowd but I decided not to because I was so tired after the game.
As for the Schott, the space is pretty decent as Jen put it. I could barely find my friends and they ended up having to sit in another section.
It was pretty awesome seeing the OSU Athletic band playing yesterday as well. You gotta be proud when your own band comes out to the court. If all that makes you proud of this game is to see James rule the court over the Bulls, man you got no game. You have to get the full experience of being there and seeing everything.

I came here for a concert last weekend and was very pleased with our experience. For how large the crowd was that night (full house), all of the staff did an amazing job facilitating both indoor and outdoor traffic flow, so it was easy to enter and exit the venue. Other places, it’s like going through a stampede of animals, but here it was nice and smooth.
Although our seating was a little ways up, we were still able to hear and see the show just fine and their large screens also helped with the view. The bathrooms were also kept very clean and had plenty of stalls, so that was a plus! My only complaint of the night was that their alcohol was extremely expensive… more so than any venue I’ve been to and the mixed drinks were very weak too, considering how much you pay for them. so we didn’t purchase that much. All in all, we had a great time, though!

As far as arenas go, this one is pretty standard.
My husband and I went to see the Black Keys the other night. I had gotten tickets sort of last minute and we had seats in section 332 — pretty close to the top. We had never been to the Schottenstein Center before and I was unaware of just how steep that top section is.
My husband (who is afraid of heights) immediately panicked and nearly passed out. We had to leave the section seconds after he sat down. I have no problem with heights, but the seats were incredibly steep and I can absolutely see how someone with such a phobia would panic.
Now, I will give 10 stars to the staff that night for helping us out after that. They were WONDERFUL. We were able to sit in an unsold handicapped section — still in an upper section, but in much more level/​lower seating. They took our original tickets and gave us new ones for our seats. We wound up having an excellent time.
The arena was clean — bathrooms were clean! The merch booths actually had a line set up with a barrier rather than a mass group of people pushing their way to the front — I definitely approve of the line! The opening act had already started by the time we got drinks, so there was no line. Big bonus here — cups with lids! It’s the little things, folks.
Parking is free (which is awesome) BUT holy hell, we had to park SO FAR AWAY. They did have shuttles, and some pedi-​cabs, but we walked. It was probably close to a mile to the arena from the lot we were in. After we hiked back to our car after the concert, it took us a good 30 minutes or so to get out of the lot. Not the greatest experience, but I’d rather wait longer than have to pay 20 bucks for parking!
The sound inside is nothing to write home about, but it was fine. The staff on the floor seemed to be handling the crowd surfers with ease. Nothing got too crazy or out of hand.
I would see another concert here — but I would make sure to get seats on a lower level next time.

I think this is a decent venue for larger events.
The Schott houses OSU Men’s Hockey games and you can get good seats for a very affordable price.
Last night I was there for a concert (Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss). I’m sure the concert planners were aware of how many tickets they could sell, so the «nosebleed» section was completely closed off, making the venue a bit smaller. I bought one of the lower-​priced tickets and I was pleased with my seat.
The seats were cushioned and had a cup holder (although the water bottles they sell at concessions didn’t fit!). I had plenty of leg room AND arm room. I’m not one for being down front in the crowds (I’m 5’2″, so seeing over people is tough), so the seating area was more than adequate.
Ladies, the bathrooms are clean! There are plenty of restrooms throughout the arena to keep the lines moving. I think the stalls were adequately supplied with TP.
Concessions offer the typical arena fare of burgers, beer, and such. I liked that they used Ohio-​based Graeter’s ice cream at the concession stand (4 flavors to pick from), although $ 6 is a bit steep for ice cream, but then again, so is $ 3.50 for a bottle of water. I could do without the guys shouting «ice cold beer» over and over again – the alternating high– and low-​pitch gets annoying pretty quickly and you can’t avoid it – it happens in both the lobby and the arena itself. If people want beer, have a sign. They will find you.
One big advantage of the Schot vs. Nationwide – free parking! If you go to a show at Nationwide, expect to tack on $ 5-​$ 15 for parking on top of your ticket price. Not at the Schot though. Traffic is pretty well-​organized and my car moved steadily as soon as I pulled out of my parking spot.
I’m not sure why people complain about the «blandness» of the space – when I go to see a show, I’m there for the artist. As long as the sound system is good, the stage is visible, the venue is clean, those are the primary things. Comfy seats and leg room are nice perks. Flashy lights and such – why? What’s the point?

Free parking! Went to see Cirque Du Soleil and parked up front for free. Talked to seven people between the parking lot and our seats and they were all friendly. I don’t know how the staff works or who they are all hired by, but I know that everyone was smiling and personable including the students working part time and the people directing traffic. The doors were to open at 7 and the guy in charge let us all in to line up and answered everyone’s questions, even if they were repetitive from those who were not paying attention.
The building itself was probably what you would expect from a college arena built in the late 90s. Nothing super fancy, nothing extraordinary. Just don’t expect an NBA arena or technology associated with a brand new building. It was very clean! Concessions and restrooms seemed plentiful which was a big plus. An odd perk for me was that they had lids for the cups! Sounds weird, but I’ve been to several venues where lids were not available and I hate spilling drinks or walking in a crowd where people spill drinks. Seating is tight, but the view is pretty good considering the arena holds almost 20k.
Stopped at two different concession stands and both were pretty standard quality and price. By standard price I mean overpriced, but standard for most venues. :)
Overall it was a very good experience and I don’t have any complaints.

Always a great concert venue but also great for sports, which it was intended for. I will note that food and beer prices are always marked up for concerts but I guess that is how it goes.

Bland, boring, outdated arena in need of a major renovation.
Suggestion to OSU athletics. Take a trip down the street to Nationwide and check out their offerings for fans. Take a trip to that hated state up north and see how they’ve done a top to bottom remodel of their basketball arena. Heck, they even have a fountain in their lobby!
I think the folks at the Schott have done a great job at keeping it clean. They’ve done a great job at adding on things like a practice facility, but the building lacks any personality – just think of the building it effectively replaced! Now that arena had personality for its time, they just failed to ever improve upon it.
The Schott never had personality. It was just a boring, bland, stale arena, an architectural embarrassment to an otherwise amazing campus.

Creature comforts. Arena complexes today are asked more and more to entertain and please guests outside the court or rink. The Jerome Schottenstein Center does this with flare and gusto.
Now, I will state for the record that the arena for sports is a tad to wide-​open giving it an air of quiet. That’s the last thing an OSU team needs playing there. But the university got it right when it moved students to courtside for hoops came and the quiet has given way to LOUD CROWDS. That’s 5-​stars alone. And the new basketball flooring for the Buckeyes is beeeeeautiful!
The JSC, outside the arena where fans meander, is very very nice. Bathrooms are well appointed and always clean. Stores selling OSU merchandise are bountiful (albeit pricey — you’re captured). Plenty of food & beverage stations who gladly take $$$$ for hot dogs, sandwiches, beer and beverages. Pricey but the experience still works well. And don’t miss the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame room where hundreds of Buckeye athletes and their history are told. Plus there’s that ONE BIG ASS basketball trophy… biggest crystal ball I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
A fan gets in and out of The JSC with ease. Entrances exist on 3 corners so ingress & egress are simple. Parking is plentiful and not over priced.
The Jerome Schottenstein Center works for concerts, too. I saw Bob Dylan play there and I understood the words he was saying/​singing. ‘Nuff said!!!

As sports/​entertainment venues go, the Schott has its advantages. The best thing, in my opinion, is the ability for the space to be filled and emptied quickly. Even in throngs of people, the human-​traffic flow is well-​thought-​out and effective.
There’s lots of options for parking around. We parked in a nearby lot for $ 10– which I thought was steep, but I’m sure if you don’t mind circling around you could find something better. Still, there’s plentiful parking for even the most popular events… you may just need to pay a little bit.
Bathrooms and concession areas have always been immaculately clean.

If you’re going to be in the nosebleeds, just don’t bother going to a show here. I’ve had a few experiences, the best of which was in GA on the ground for Weezer, Tenacious D and Jimmy Eat World back in 2001 or something stupid like that. That show was a goddamn riot, and even being kinda far back on the floor, at least it had the feel of a real show.
I’ve seen a few other events, shows, etc. here from further back and that is a waste imo. Fine for basketball, probably hockey too, but if it ain’t your favorite band, I’d avoid seeing music here if you can’t afford some good tickets.

This is a great venue for sports. It’s accessible from three sides, which means pedestrian traffic in and out flows very nicely. The concession stands are reasonably priced, the views from the seats are all good, even in the top bowl, and the staff all seem friendly.
Concerts are more hit-​or-​miss. The upper-​bowl seats can be VERY far from the stage, but floor seating is a much better experience.
The only issue with this venue is street traffic, which gets very clogged, very easily. There’s plenty of parking in all directions, but with Olentangy River Road separated by a median, it’s hard to send cars out of the lots efficiently. Plan on waiting in long lines.

I came here Tuesday night for Muse and Metric at 7:30pm. Got GA floor tickets for only $ 60, and we were able to get 2^nd row from the front with a perfect view of the stage (
)! Also came within a second of catching Chris’ harmonica after his solo.
Ballpark times:
5:00pm — park in parking lot across the Schottenstein Center, free parking!
5:10pm — get in line (about 80+ people ahead of us,
)
6:30pm — doors open and line starts moving
7:35pm — show starts, Metric opens
8:10pm — Metric ends
8:50pm — Muse starts,
and
10:30pm — show ends
10:40pm — reach parking lot, drive home
Pros:
–banner across the side of the stadium
–free parking
Cons:
–acoustics at the Schottenstein aren’t the best, but Muse blasted the place out of the water
Security was nice enough to get cups of water and bring them out for people at the barricade, but of course they got pretty pissy about people taking videos during the show.