In the days following Ryan Day, from walking off the field in Columbus after Ohio State lost to Michigan State to end the regular season, his family's safety was threatened with death from a crazed fringe of Buckeye fans. That was the main priority after receiving the threat.
After the loss, Columbus clearly had a monster fallout. ohio Lost their fourth straight game to the Wolverines. But what some people don't hear is how everything got out of control in terms of Ryan's day and the safety of his family.
talk to Columbus dispatchRyan Day's wife, Nina Day, spoke out about the horrific events that came in the aftermath of Michigan State's loss. The family's behind-the-scenes situation was taking a dangerous turn.
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Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day with his wife after defeating the Oregon Ducks 41-21 in the 2025 Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2025 , Christina celebrates with her daughter.
“The time between the Michigan game and the Tennessee game was as low and dark as you can imagine. Very negative. Unprecedented hate,” he said. Nina Day explained.
When Ryan Day was eight years old, his father died by suicide. So when a fan somehow got hold of Nina Day's cell phone number in the days after the Michigan State loss, before Nina decided it was best to hang up, an unfathomable message It started pouring at a constant rate.
“They told Ryan many times to follow in his father's footsteps and commit suicide,” Nina told the dispatch.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leaves the field after a game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 30, 2024 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On the outside, Ryan Day held weekly press conferences and continued to press forward as he waited to see who his team would play in the first round of the College Football Playoff. But within the family, things were starting to get out of control with their safety.
According to Nina Day, their 16-year-old son, RJ, began receiving death threats on social media, the family's address was also posted, and Ryan Day hired an armed security guard to protect the family at his home. Ta. There was also an idea from Nina that she should bring the child and leave Columbus, not knowing what the next month could bring.
“I think he at times second-guessed his decision to come into this and put the spotlight on us being in the spotlight. He felt responsible and felt bad that he put us in this position. I felt bad. Then take us out.” Nina's day was mentioned About the conversation with her husband.
Ryan Day 'fought' for his family during CFP run in Ohio
There are fans in all sports who take things too seriously. This is another example of something out of control. There was never a day when a family had to fear for their life at a football game.
This is clearly an ugly part of the sport, and this isn't the first time I've heard of coaches having to deal with these types of situations, and it won't be the last.
Michigan Wolverines coach Sheron Moore shakes hands with Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
“He fought like hell and got us out of a very dark place five weeks ago because of his resilience, because no one really thought this would end the way it did. Because I don’t think I expected it,” Nina Day said. “Everyone thought the season would end in November.
“All he said to me was, 'I want to bring you peace. I just want to bring you peace.' And he knew that in order for us to feel any kind of peace, he had to win it all. ”
All this at a soccer game. Families who need armed security to protect their homes fear for their lives in order to have a peaceful night's sleep.
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Nina Day said she can't label the entire fanbase as a “fringe of lunatics,” but there are certainly a lot of people who should be held accountable for their actions toward the family that day.
Watching Ryan Day celebrate with his family on Monday night, hugging each member of the family, there was certainly more to the story than the head coach who was dealing with the outside noise.
