In 2007, students at the Ohio State University voted in favor of erecting an on-campus statue to salute legendary Buckeyes football coach Woody Hayes. A year later, it appears that idea has been sacked.

(Woody enjoying spring practice in Columbus)

THE WIZARD OF ODDS punches up news that no further progress has been made in honoring Hayes. No artisan contracted, no location determined, not even the type of material for the statue has been decided.

So, what’s the hold-up?

Like all good school projects, it’s the lack of funding. Student senator Patrick Sprinkle tells (or actually e-mails) OSU’s THE LANTERN the details:

“We have not been able to get additional support from various campus groups. In future years, I would like to see USG, the Alumni Association, the Department of Athletics and the Class Gift Committee collaborate to see this statue idea get off the ground.”

Sprinkle further adds that the student government isn’t going to chip in all $30,000 for the statue all by themselves, and that “the current climate on campus would not make this project feasible.”

Too cold?

Or, it might just be possible that the school is worried that any statue of Hayes would suffer similar shenanigans that Philadelphia’s Rocky has had to recently endure. Just imagine what the boys & girls from a certain school up north would love to do to Woody. (Hey, it’s no different than the Dead Schembechlers.)

But statue supporters shouldn’t feel too disappointed about the delays. The kids at Washington have run into the same problems trying to get a shrine to Bruce Lee on their Seattle campus.

Still, it’s a shame that all this political & financially folly is halting construction on a tribute to Hayes. (We even found someone to model.) How would Woody react if he were still around?

We think it would go a little something like this: