French Field House French Field House, the indoor track complex for the Ohio State men's and women's teams is named for the late Thomas E. French who was the University's first Western Conference (later renamed the Big Ten) faculty representative. The facility was constructed in 1956 at the cost of approximately $1 million and adjoins St. John Arena on the west side. Dedication ceremonies took place in the winter of 1957. Later that year, French Field House hosted the conference's indoor track and field championships. This indoor facility features a 200 meter , Chevron 440 track, which was installed in November 1980 at a cost of $82,000. The Chevron 440 is considered one of the premier artificial tracks on the market. A synthetic surface called "Superturf" covers the infield area. Seating capacity at French Field House is 1,100. The facility also houses the team locker room, training rooms and a weightlifting complex. The track, in addition to the other areas, is accessible to the Ohio State teams on a year-round basis.