We are having a family argument here, and I need some help from those with good memories and long, grey beards.  What year was the "bowl" game that was to be played in Ireland and that turned out to be a scam.  I'm thinking 1991; however, others in the family are insisting that it was 1989.  We were scheduled to go to the game, and when it was cancelled we went to Germany instead.  We are having collective memory warps as to when that trip occurred.  Help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!  I was wrong, I thought '91.  My wife was wrong, she thought '89.  My son won this round, as he said he thought it was '90.  At least I don't have to say to my wife, once again, "You were right, dear!"

Cause and effect, you think? 

In the darkest days of Ohio football, AD Harold McElhaney came up with the idea of playing our regular season game against Ball State in Killarney, Ireland.  He was sold on this idea by a Columbus-based trip promoter who was, shall we say, shady.

The trip was to involve chartered airliners of Ohio and BSU fans, a week's stay in a Killarney resort, and a variety of side trips.

When we signed up, we were told we'd get our hotel confirmations, airline tickets and other documentation by mid-August. The promoter missed every deadline and we never saw our tickets. I called the AD and alumni offices multiple times to express my concern and was assured that they were on top of things.  I seem to remember being called an "alarmist" when I complained of no return calls from the promoter.  "The university only works with reputable promoters and our alumni trips are extremely popular and successful," sniffed the director of alumni relations.

Eight days prior to  departure, I got home from work to hear a phone message that went something like this: "Your trip to Ireland has been canceled. The promoter has taken all of your money and declared bankruptcy. There are no airline tickets and apparently the destination hotel is closed for the season."

Good times!

Oh, and we ended up playing the game in Muncie and got slaughtered.

I have a great connection if anyone wants to see the redhawk-Ohio State game in Moscow this year,  I'll need a $4000 deposit into my paypal account by July 15.  Non-refundable.

SBH's account is quite accurate and very similar to my own experience.  I would only add that Charles J. Ping dipped into university coffers to refund us every last cent we had sent in for deposits and payments.  The university, not the fans, was left holding the bag on this one.  Ping technically did not have to do this, but it was the honest thing to do.  I remember that he said that since we had trusted the University in this matter that the university was morally, if not legally, responsible for making the refunds.  As I recall, there was some clause in the contracts we had signed that would have left Ohio fans out in the cold, if President Ping hadn't personally intervened.  Though I always respected and admired Dr. Ping, this incident greatly reinforced my impression of him as a truly honorable man.

The interesting thing about paying us back was that the university was unable to simply dip into its own coffers due to state law; the payout cauld only take place as a result of a lawsuit. So the university hired a lawyer for the plaintiffs, paid for all legal representation, and then essentially sued itself. Only after losing the lawsuit, intentionally, could it pay us back. I seem to recall the tab being somewhere north of $3k per couple.

 

Sounds like a remake of such a shirt could be a money maker for the 110 or another outfit on campus. 

My addiction to Ohio athletics started in 1995. I am thankful for this post. Just an unreal story. Thanks for sharing.

I greatly enjoyed watching college football last year in Ireland -- the Notre Dame-Navy clash in Dublin.  It was played in modern Avia Stadium before a sold out crowd of 56,000.  Most were Americans, but a number of locals showed up to see what all of the hoozah was about.  In typical Irish fashion, the toss of the coin was conducted by the nation's president (a poet -- only in Ireland!) and it was a great game for Irish fans.  Then we spent another week showing my brother and sister the auld sod.  And we monitored the Bobcat-Penn State score later in the day and hoisted a Guinness to the victory.