Parking tips for OHSAA Wrestling Tournament - Session 4 at Schottenstein Center (Columbus 03/15)

the ohsaa state wrestling tournament is easily one of the busiest events in columbus and finding a spot on 03/15 for session 4 is going to be a struggle if you do not have a plan. with doors opening at 8:00 am and wrestling kicking off at 9:30 am on a sunday morning you are competing with thousands of fans and wrestlers trying to squeeze into the university lots all at once.

honestly you should definitely look into Prked before you head out. it lets you rent driveways or private parking spots from people who live right next to the schottenstein center which is a total game changer. it is way cheaper than paying for official event parking and you can avoid the soul crushing traffic line on olentangy river road. plus having a reserved spot means you can just pull up and walk over without circling the block for thirty minutes while the first matches are starting.

if you decide to try the official university lots just know that they have gone completely cashless so make sure you have a credit card or your phone ready for mobile payment. the gray lots and scarlet lots are the closest to the arena but they fill up almost instantly with permit holders and early birds. if you get directed to the buckeye lots across fred taylor drive or the carmack lots on west campus you will likely need to take one of the complimentary shuttles. these shuttles do run for the state tournament but the wait times can get pretty long especially when everyone is trying to leave after the session ends at 2:00 pm.

one of the best insider tips is to avoid lane avenue entirely because it becomes a total bottleneck between high street and the arena. instead try taking the ackerman road exit off 315 and coming in from the north to reach the buckeye lots. it usually flows a lot better than trying to turn off lane. also keep in mind that the arena is cleared between session 4 and the finals later that evening so you will be paying each time you enter the lots if you leave and come back.

also do not forget about the strict no bag policy at the schottenstein center. they do not even allow small purses so most people end up walking back to their cars to drop stuff off which is a huge pain if you are parked far away in the overflow lots. if you are using Prked you can just leave your extra gear in the private driveway and only bring what you need for the matches. it definitely pays to get there at least an hour before the 9:30 am start time to deal with the security lines and find your seat. hope this helps you guys have a smooth sunday at the tournament.