Campus Alert Archive
Ohio State

14-9 Over Michigan, Then 107 Fires: Ohio State's Worst Celebratory Riot

OHcivil unrestemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

After Ohio State beat archrival Michigan 14-9 on November 23, 2002, a crowd estimated at 4,000 to 6,000 people rioted in the off-campus neighborhood north of the Columbus campus. Rioters flipped and torched parked cars and set 107 dumpster and couch fires, damaging about 20 vehicles. Police arrested roughly 70 people, and Ohio State suspended 10 students connected to the disturbance, calling it the worst celebratory rioting in school history.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
The Ohio State University
Public R1 · OH
Police loudspeaker and local media (pre-mass-notification era)
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction191 chars
This is the Columbus Division of Police. You are part of an unlawful assembly. Leave the area immediately and return to your residences. Anyone who remains is subject to arrest. Disperse now.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: Ohio State had no mass-notification system in 2002, so crowd warnings came from police loudspeakers in the off-campus neighborhood.
The disturbance was concentrated in the off-campus student area north of the Columbus campus rather than on university grounds.
UPDATEother
Approximate reconstruction284 chars
The University condemns the violence and destruction that followed Saturday's game. Ten students have been suspended pending investigation, and anyone identified as participating in the riots will face disciplinary action up to and including expulsion in addition to criminal charges.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: CNN reported on November 25, 2002 that Ohio State suspended 10 students arrested over the weekend.
The riot led Ohio State to convene a Task Force on Preventing Celebratory Riots, reflecting an institutional response rather than a single real-time alert.
Context

Background

Ohio State's 14-9 win over Michigan on November 23, 2002 clinched an undefeated regular season and a berth in the national championship game, and it triggered what the university called the worst celebratory rioting in its history. According to the Toledo Blade, a crowd of 4,000 to 6,000 people in the off-campus neighborhood set 107 dumpster and couch fires, flipped and burned cars, and damaged about 20 vehicles. Police arrested roughly 70 people, including 17 students, on charges ranging from underage drinking and disorderly conduct to rioting and arson. CNN reported that Ohio State suspended 10 students within days. The episode, part of a longer pattern of game-day disturbances documented by The Lantern, pushed the university to create a Task Force on Preventing Celebratory Riots and to overhaul its game-day culture in later years. Because it predated campus mass-notification, the only real-time messaging was police loudspeaker dispersal orders, with the disciplinary response communicated afterward through official statements and local media.
Analysis

Key Findings

A 14-9 win over Michigan triggered a riot of 4,000 to 6,000 people in the off-campus neighborhood
Rioters set 107 dumpster and couch fires and damaged about 20 vehicles, including burned cars
Roughly 70 people were arrested and Ohio State suspended 10 students
The riot led Ohio State to form a task force and reform its game-day culture
Outcome
About 70 people were arrested, 20 cars were damaged, and 107 fires were reported. Ohio State suspended 10 students, and the riot prompted a formal university task force on preventing celebratory riots.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Ohio State suspends 10 students after riots - CNN
    cnn.com
  2. News
    Drunken revelry mars win over Michigan - The Toledo Blade
    toledoblade.com
  3. Student Paper
    From the archives: Ohio State's history of party riots - The Lantern
    thelantern.com
Tags
civil-unrestriotohiohistoricpre-modern-alertfootballcelebratory-riot
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion