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If you've been to a game at Ohio Stadium, you know that it's an incredibly exciting experience. This is due, in part, to the commitment and involvement of the Block "O" student sections in the north and south ends of the Shoe.
Block "O" was founded in 1938 by head cheerleader Clancy Isaac, Jr. Isaac had traveled to the University of Southern California to cheer on the Buckeyes in 1937, and was impressed with the card stunts Trojans fans used to support their team. Card stunts were a big part of Block "O" from the very beginning. In the early days, a lot of work went into the planning and execution of these card stunts. They had to be planned by manually accounting for each seat and each student on graph paper.
Block "O" initiated, as many things did in those days, as an all-male entity. That, of course, has changed over the years. At its inception, Block "O" was located solely in the north end of Ohio Stadium. Once the renovations of the south end were completed, Block "O" established an additional cheering section in that end of the Shoe as well.
Today, the organization is best known for their very visible support of the football Buckeyes – their card and cape stunts, chants, and cheers that can be heard throughout the Shoe on game days. It's not just a bunch of students sitting in a certain area on game days either – it's a thoughtfully and meticulously organized group of students who are committed to supporting the Buckeyes and being excellent representatives of The Ohio State University on game days.
Block "O" is the largest registered student organization on Ohio State's campus, currently, and their support is not limited to football. Block "O" has organized efforts to show support for Buckeye baseball, gymnastics, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and wrestling. Established student support for men's hockey, men's basketball and men's soccer may bear different names, but the Knucklebucks, the Buckeye NutHouse and Connor's Crew are all held under the Block "O" umbrella and leadership.
2013 marked the 75th year since Block "O" was founded to show support for Buckeyes football, and it's still going strong.
