On Saturdays in Columbus, Ohio Stadium becomes the epicenter of college football. More than 100,000 fans fill the stands, scarlet and gray everywhere, voices rising in unison. It is a place associated with tradition, power, and spectacle. But long after the final whistle and after most fans head home, a different kind of work begins — and with it, a story that reaches far beyond football.

Ohio State is quietly building something rare in modern sports: a bridge between one of the most iconic venues in the country and people who have spent years invisible to society.

when the crowd leaves, another team reports for work

Once the lights dim and the roar fades, a new group enters Ohio Stadium. These are not athletes, coaches, or staff members whose names appear on game programs. They are men and women experiencing homelessness, hired to help clean, maintain, and reset the stadium after home games.

They are paid real wages — between $25 and $30 per hour. Not stipends. Not symbolic compensation. Real pay for real labor. Along with wages, they receive hot meals after every shift, drinks, warm clothing during colder months, transportation assistance, and access to resources designed to help them move toward long-term employment.

For many, this is the first steady paycheck they have earned in years.

not charity, but dignity

Ohio State officials involved in the program are careful with language. This is not framed as charity. There are no press releases filled with self-congratulation. No labels. No pity.

The message is simple: work deserves respect.

Participants are treated as employees, not recipients of aid. They have schedules, responsibilities, and expectations. They are trusted to do the job, and in return, they are compensated fairly. That distinction matters more than any slogan.

In a system where people experiencing homelessness are often offered help without agency, this program restores something fundamental: dignity.

a paycheck that means more than money

For those involved, the impact extends far beyond the hourly wage. Earning $25–$30 an hour allows individuals to address immediate needs — food, clothing, temporary shelter — but it also provides something less tangible and far more powerful: stability.

Several participants have described the experience as a reset. A chance to rebuild routines. A reason to show up on time. A reminder that they are capable and valued.

The work is physical and demanding, but it is consistent. And consistency, for people who have lived with uncertainty for years, can be life-changing.

football as a platform for social responsibility

College football generates enormous revenue, attention, and influence. Ohio State is one of the most powerful brands in sports. What makes this program notable is not its scale, but its intent.

Rather than launching a high-profile campaign or attaching corporate branding to social initiatives, the university chose something quieter and more practical. They used what they already had — a stadium, regular events, and operational needs — and turned those into jobs.

It is a model rooted in practicality rather than optics.

changing lives beyond the scoreboard

The program also connects participants with guidance toward longer-term employment. Staff members help individuals navigate next steps, whether that means full-time jobs, housing resources, or training opportunities.

For some, the stadium work becomes a stepping stone. For others, it becomes a re-entry point into the workforce after years of exclusion. Either way, it creates momentum.

And momentum is often the hardest thing to regain.

why this matters now

Across the country, conversations about homelessness often stall between policy debates and short-term solutions. Ohio State’s approach does not pretend to solve the crisis. It does something simpler — and arguably more effective.

It creates opportunity without judgment.

In doing so, it challenges other institutions to rethink what community engagement can look like. Not donations alone. Not statements alone. But action embedded into everyday operations.

a different kind of legacy

Ohio Stadium has hosted legends, championships, and unforgettable moments. But for the people working there after games, its meaning is more personal.

It becomes a place where someone saw them not as a problem to manage, but as a person capable of contributing.

That may never appear on a scoreboard. It may never trend nationally. But for those whose lives are being rebuilt shift by shift, it matters more than any final score.

Ohio State often asks who still believes in second chances. With this program, they are quietly answering the question themselves.