This Saturday, as the Ohio State Buckeyes faced the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the stands, as always, were jam-packed with students cheering on the Bucks.

This Saturday’s homecoming game coincided with the university’s unofficial “parents’ weekend,” a tradition where students are encouraged to invite their parents to visit for game day. Students and their parents go cheer on their team together, whether that be in the ‘Shoe, a local campus bar or a tailgate, to experience the energy that is unique to OSU game days.

For many parents, this energy is not a new feeling. These adults are coming back to the place they once called home for their undergraduate years to experience their college days through their children’s eyes. For these parents, this game was a throwback to all the game days they had in their college years; all the wins, losses, excitement, cheers and most importantly, the game day outfits that were right there with them, helping create that unbeatable OSU game day energy.

Looking back, the 90s era of fashion focused on comfort and self-expression. An oversized T-shirt and a pair of baggy pants were the solution to any outfit dilemma. Minimalism was all the rage, as we saw more functional and relaxed outfits. 

Game day outfits in this era were no different. The student section was filled with screaming fans wearing their favorite OSU sweatshirt or their favorite player’s jersey, paired with an Ohio State beanie for those colder fall games or a ball cap for those sunny games early in the season.

Many fans still own the thick, bomber-style jackets they wore to the ‘Shoe in the 90s, and some of those very same jackets are having a comeback as new Buckeyes dig through their parents’ closets to find a cool, ‘vintage,’ game day jacket. 

Parents coming back to their old stomping grounds reminisce about their college days, all their old friends, their old classes and that one signature gameday outfit that still lives on in memories.

As I was packing for my first year at OSU, I knew I had to find my own perfect game day outfit. My brother and I fought over who got to keep mom’s vintage OSU sweatshirt or dad’s game day jersey. After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we were able to compromise and each keep some of these vintage pieces that we made into our own signature game day looks.

Wearing my parents’ clothes from when they were in college and thrifting other old college game day clothes made me feel closer to that energy and community that exists within Ohio State football. By recycling these old clothes and giving them a new life, we keep the tradition of Ohio State football alive and thriving, cheering on our team long after we graduate.

Saturday game days now see more creativity in our outfits, with different combinations of scarlet and gray rompers, mini skirts and mini dresses paired with vintage sweatshirts and upcycled T-shirts. If you look out into the stands now, you’ll see glitter and heeled boots and outfits you just know were agonized over for days, a huge difference from the days of our parents, where they threw on their favorite lived-in sweatshirt to cheer on their team.

This Saturday, we saw more clearly than ever that we’re not that different from our parents after all. They’ll comment, “hey, isn’t that my sweatshirt that went missing from my closet years ago?”

While game days at OSU may now be a fashion show, it’s nice to see where this fashion sense stems from; look back at the people who helped you develop it and you’ll see that your styles are more similar than you thought.

Our styles may have changed, but some things, like cheering on the Buckeyes, are just tradition.