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After unveiling statue, will Ohio State's marching band let Jerry Lucas dot the 'i'?
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- After unveiling statue, will Ohio State's marching band let Jerry Lucas dot the 'i'?
The middle of November is shaping up to be momentous for Jerry Lucas.
On Nov. 14, the first Ohio State men's basketball player to have his jersey retired will also become the first to be commemorated with a statue outside of the program's arena . Lucas, now 85 years old, will have his wife, children and grandchildren on hand for the 4 p.m. ceremony outside Value City Arena to unveil the statue depicting him shooting his trademark hook shot.
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Two days later, Lucas will be inside the arena to watch the Buckeyes host Notre Dame in their marquee nonconference home game for the 2025-26 season.
Sandwiched right between those two dates is a Nov. 15 home football game with UCLA and with it, a chance for Lucas to make some more history at his alma mater. No representative of the men's basketball program has ever dotted the 'i' as the Ohio State marching band has performed Script Ohio at a football game.
Ohio State forward Jerry Lucas (11) was a three-time all-American and two-time Big Ten player of the year. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
A spokesman for the Ohio State marching band said that while Lucas is a deserving candidate for the honor, he will not be dotting the 'i' at any home game this season. Those decisions are made "well before the season gets underway," the spokesman said, and the band is still working through a backlog of 'i' dotters due to COVID-19 affected seasons and extra years of eligibility awarded during that time.
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Lucas, a three-time all-American, two-time Big Ten player of the year and member of the school's lone national championship team, would be a logical candidate to eventually be the first men's basketball player to leave his mark on Script Ohio.
Jerry Lucas, Archie Griffin and Ryan Shazier are recognized prior to a men's basketball game between Ohio State and Duke on Nov. 30, 2021.
"That would be, I mean, oh my gosh," Lucas said.
Ohio State has awarded the honor to various non-band members across the years. Most recently, Archie Griffin dotted the 'i' during the 2024 football season. Other famous 'i' dotters include comedian Bob Hope (1978), former football coach Woody Hayes (1983), golfer Jack Nicklaus (2006) and Sen. John and Annie Glenn (2009).
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The marching band's official webpage states that the honor is awarded to "exceptional" non-band members "on very rare occasions." In a 2023 interview, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith addressed the possibility of Lucas receiving the honor, stating that it was a decision that has to be made by Chris Hoch, director of Ohio State's marching and athletic bands .
On "The Gene Smith Podcast," Smith told listeners that anyone who wants to promote Lucas for the honor should contact Hoch "and make that recommendation."
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @ cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @ AdamJardy .
This story was updated to correct for an inaccuracy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Jerry Lucas dot the 'i' for Ohio State's marching band?
