Mike ‘Micro’ Nicholson: The Unseen Force Behind Ohio State’s Game-Day Experience

Nathan Snizik
Thu, 13 Nov 2025 23:55:23 +0000
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Audio, Visual & Scoring Systems Manager, Mike “Micro” Nicholson looks out from the audio booth in the Ohio Stadium press box, Oct. 23, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. Photo Credit | Nathan Snizik

With 40 minutes to kickoff, fans were streaming into the stands, the Ohio State football team was on the field and the energy inside Ohio Stadium was building fast.

In the press box, things were heating up in a different way.

Deep inside the stadium’s infrastructure, a corroded electrical terminal had melted, disabling the systems powering the scoreboard, instant replay, and public address system.

Others might have panicked. Mike “Micro” Nicholson of the Audio, Visual and Scoreboard team went straight to work.

He jumped into action, rigged a quick fix, and had the systems back up before any fans knew anything had gone wrong.

It was just another Saturday for one of the longest-serving, least-seen members of the Buckeye athletics experience.

For 28 years, Nicholson has worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure the lights shine, the sound booms and the scoreboards come to life at every football game.

While fans cheer touchdowns, he has been a steady hand, making sure the technology works without a hitch. As Ohio State’s AV systems have evolved from analog switches to massive high-def video boards, he has been at the center of it all: adapting and problem-solving to shape the experience for millions of fans.

“I started working with bands in bars when I was in high school,” Nicholson said, reflecting on his early AV experience.

Nicholson came to Ohio State in 1987 as a communications major and art history minor.

A five-year letterman for the Ohio State rifle team, Nicholson has witnessed the athletic department grow from the inside out.

His first taste of game-day operations came in 1988, when he worked as an usher for a Pink Floyd concert at Ohio Stadium. During college, Nicholson also gained hands-on experience working for a local news station.

After graduating in 1992, he turned his experience into a career, taking on freelance audio projects while working as a touring audio engineer.

In March 1997, Nicholson returned to Ohio State after his former boss, Ohio State scoreboard manager Wayne Stephens, contacted him about an opening in the department.

This time, he wasn’t in the stands. He was deep in the control rooms and tunnels of Ohio Stadium, helping ensure one of the nation’s top collegiate athletic programs ran seamlessly.

Nicholson’s first week on the job, a 74-hour stretch covering the 1997 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship at St. John’s Arena, would set the pace for his next 28 years.

From football Saturdays in the Shoe to basketball games in the Schottenstein Center, Nicholson has watched nearly every facet of Ohio State Athletics evolve.

“When I got here in ‘97, we had between 13 and 15 buildings,” Nicholson said. “We’re up to 27 now. About the only things that haven’t really changed are the stadium, Saint John Arena, French Field House and the rifle range.”

As Ohio State’s facilities have expanded, so has the technology Nicholson manages.

“Every year there are new upgrades,” said Nicholson. “The baseball and softball scoreboards will be up next for replacement in the next 18 months.”

Nicholson has run audio for every sport Ohio State offers, learning and adapting as both technology and facilities have evolved.

“Give me a knob and a fader and I’m a happy person,” he said with a laugh. “Everything runs on fiber now, and everything’s networked together. It’s a completely different world from when I started.”

Today, Nicholson oversees audio, video, and scoring operations for men’s basketball, wrestling, men’s and women’s soccer, synchronized swimming, rowing and football, as part of a four-person team supporting all 36 of Ohio State’s varsity sports.

“Our record over the years in one single day was seven events,” he said.

Through all the milestones and changes, Nicholson says his proudest accomplishment remains the more than 100 students who have worked alongside him throughout the years.

“It’s kind of fun keeping track of where the students have ended up and what they’re doing now,” Nicholson said. “I’m constantly amazed at where some of them are now.”

One of those students is Grace Thatcher, who spoke highly of Nicholson’s character and credited his mentorship with helping her gain acceptance to graduate school.

“I was able to talk about my work experience with him during my admissions interview,” said Thatcher. “Even though the job has nothing to do with my degree, the skills he has helped me to improve have been invaluable.”