The Ohio State University Buckeye football team first played in autumn 1890 on a field immediately south of where Ohio Stadium now stands, and later played at other locations including Ohio Field, constructed in 1898 near the intersection of North High Street and West Woodruff Avenue with seating for 500 spectators. After Ohio State entered the Big Ten Western Athletic Conference in 1912, demand for seating at Ohio Field began to grow. The Buckeyes won the 1916 and 1917 Big Ten Championships with fan-favorite Charles "Chic" Harley, a graduate of Columbus East High School and Ohio State's first All-American. By 1919, Ohio Field's seating capacity had increased to 14,000. The success of Buckeye football in that era created a dedicated community of fans who would be crucial to the eventual realization of Ohio Stadium. As early as 1915, Professor Thomas E. French, head of the Department of Engineering and chairman of the University Athletic Board, promoted the idea of a large-capacity stadium and athletic complex for the university. He envisioned the stadium as a grand architectural symbol for Ohio State and emphasized the relationship of athletics to the well-being of the student body. University President William Oxley Thompson and Director of Athletics Lynn W. Saint John embraced French's vision and, with him, lobbied the University Board of Trustees for support for preliminary studies for a new stadium.
