November 25, 2025 / 8:35 PM EST / CBS News
The long-standing Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has expanded beyond the scoreboard to a less glamorous — but fiercely contested — category: who handles their stadium trash better.
Ohio State has recently taken the bragging rights in that contest. Mary Leciejewski, the university’s associate director of environmental sustainability, said the attention comes with being part of this rivalry.
“I mean, it just comes with the territory,” Leciejewski said.
On game days, teams of volunteers fan out across the stadium to collect and sort waste, separating recyclables from compostables like food scraps and biodegradable serviceware. The effort is part of the Campus Race to Zero Waste, a national program that tracks how well colleges divert game-day waste from landfills.
Last season Ohio State finished at the top, not only winning on the field but also winning the waste diversion category. The Buckeyes diverted 94% of their game-day waste, outpacing Michigan’s 79% diversion rate.
Paul Dunlop, Michigan’s associate athletic director for facilities, said the program’s value goes beyond statistics. “If we can do it for over 100,000 people, you can do it at your house,” he said, noting the educational impact for fans.
Students are central to the effort at both schools. Meredith Butt, an ecology student at Ohio State, spends weekends in the stadium teaching fans how to sort their trash.
“So much of what we throw away doesn’t need to be thrown away, and it just feels really rewarding to be a part of that,” Butt said.
On Michigan’s campus, compost collected during games is processed at the campus farm and returned to the soil to help grow produce served in the stadium. Mia Terek, a University of Michigan graduate student studying sustainability, said waste is a visible entry point for people learning about environmental issues.
“For me, waste is a very tangible part of sustainability. You don’t really see emissions, but you see waste, you see litter on the floor,” Terek said.
Leciejewski said the team takes pride in the achievement. “It’s nice to be champions on the field, but for us, it’s all about the diversion rate,” she said.