Brutus statue vandalized near Ohio State campus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Brutus Buckeye statue on Ohio State University's campus was damaged overnight.

According to police, the Brutus statue outside of College Traditions on West Lane Avenue was vandalized sometime late Saturday or early Sunday.

College Traditions manager Kelly Dawes said the university and Columbus police are investigating.

The vandalism comes during Michigan Week, the team's last home game and regular season game of the 2024 campaign.

This is the second time since 2022 that Brutus was damaged. In January 2022, the statue was hit by a skidding car.

According to the 2022 report, the shop acquired Brutus in 2008 as part of Brutus on Parade, an initiative by the university to raise money for the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library -- known now as the Thompson Library. The shop paid $20,000 for the statue as part of the fundraiser.