Ohio State announced on Friday that it will offer federal government employees two free tickets to Buckeyes athletic events until the government shutdown ends.

The offer begins with OSU’s men’s basketball game against Maryland on Friday in Value City Arena and also includes home games involving women’s basketball, men’s hockey, women’s gymnastics and men’s lacrosse.

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Dan Wallenberg, associate athletics director for communications, said that OSU athletic director Gene Smith broached the idea on Thursday night.

“We had a group text and we thought it was a good idea so we worked last night and early (Friday) morning to get the logistics settled,” Wallenberg said.

Federal employees can secure their tickets only on the day of the game by providing a government I.D. at the OSU athletics ticket office in the northeast corner of the Schottenstein Center or at the ticket office at the event site.

“We want to recognize that people who work for the government are struggling right now,” Wallenberg said. “We all know what it’s like to need a paycheck every pay period. So for those people who are, we’re just trying to give them a little relief from the worries they have during the shutdown.”

brabinowitz@dispatch.com

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