BEREA, Ohio – As the college football season quickly gets underway, one date will stand out for many fans in Ohio: September 5th. On that day, Baldwin Wallace football alumnus and Ohio State national championship-winning head coach Jim Tressel will be inducted into Ohio Stadium's Ring of Honor prior to the Buckeyes' season opener against Ball State.

Tressel's collegiate football career began at Baldwin Wallace University, where he was the starting quarterback under his father and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Lee Tressel '48.

"Our journey truly began at BW," said Jim Tressel. "The coaches, teammates, fraternity brothers, faculty members, and friends made all the difference in the world. Without them, this day would not have happened."

Following his graduation, Tressel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Akron before serving as the quarterbacks/wide receivers coach at Miami (Ohio) from 1979-80 and quarterbacks coach at Syracuse University from 1981-82.

From there, Tressel made his first move to Ohio State, serving as quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs coach from 1983-85 before earning his first head coaching opportunity at Youngstown State University in 1986.

At YSU, Tressel led the Penguins to four NCAA Division I-AA national championships across a seven-year span, including back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994. His success at YSU ultimately earned him the opportunity to return to Ohio State and become the head coach in 2001, a position he held through 2010 that included six Big Ten championships and a national championship in 2002.

Following his coaching career, Tressel continued his commitment to higher education, serving in leadership roles at the University of Akron as the Vice President of Strategic Engagement from 2012-14 before becoming the ninth president of Youngstown State University, a position he held from 2014-23.

"At BW we learned that leadership is all about service, and care, concern, and love for one another is the key," said Tressel.

While Tressel's coaching career brought him national recognition, his connection to Baldwin Wallace and higher education has remained a constant throughout his life. A 2005 BW Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Tressel returned to his alma mater as the University's undergraduate commencement speaker in 2003, when he also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He continues to serve BW as a member of the University's Board of Trustees, while the Tressel family's legacy is also reflected on campus through Tressel Field, which was named in honor of his father in 2008 following a gift from the Tressel family.

Tressel will become just the third head coach in Ohio State program history to be inducted into the Ring of Honor and the first individual to be honored since his former quarterback, Troy Smith, was inducted in 2014.