OSU has no plans to accommodate World Cup soccer at Ohio Stadium

• Columbus doesn't have one that fits the bill, and Ohio State still doesn't plan to change that.

What we're hearing: The university has no plans to undergo a renovation project that would widen the Ohio Stadium field to allow for a regulation soccer match, executive associate athletic director for internal operations Mike Penner tells Axios.

• "It would be a substantial project" that OSU hasn't "really had any conversations about," he says.

Flashback: Between 1999 and 2001, a nearly $200 million renovation of Ohio Stadium included lowering the field by 14 feet, removing the track and stadium dorms, and adding restrooms and concession stands.

• Crucially, it also added a lower ring of seating known as the AA Deck, some of the most expensive tickets in the building.
• Those new seats helped make it the country's third-largest stadium.

Yes, but: That deck made the field too narrow for a soccer match under FIFA regulations.

• Football fields are 53 1/3 yards wide.
• FIFA recommends 74 yards of width, plus space outside the lines.

The big picture: Soccer is buzzier than ever in America thanks to a World Cup that brought millions of eyeballs and tens of thousands of fans to cities like Atlanta, Kansas City and Philadelphia.

• Without a major, costly and unforeseen change, Columbus won't be in the mix for any such event in the future.

The bottom line: "Nothing is insurmountable," Penner says, noting that OSU would be happy to discuss possibilities with the city, the Crew and other potential stakeholders in a World Cup bid.

• But don't expect it.
• "Those AA seats are amazing seats for football games. We love that section. We love how the stadium is right now."