URBANA, Ohio — Urbana University closed its doors in 2020 due to hardship caused by the pandemic and decreased attendance. Since then plans for what the campus will become have been undetermined.
But those plans could be coming together sooner rather than later thanks to a couple of Buckeye football legends.
Ohio State football legends Braxton Miller and Troy Smith are part of a group working on a bid to purchase Urbana University’s campus and transform it into a prep school.
“I wanna open up my own school and I want to give back in that type of manner and have my own curriculum academics-wise, that’s first and foremost, especially with sports,” Miller said. “You know winners win and that’s what I wanna bring to this culture, keep it in the Midwest.”
Miller’s Heisman Elite Charg1ng Camp is featuring Troy Smith this year after last year’s camp was canceled due to COVID-19.
Miller said it’s exciting to be back after a year off.
“Take the kids and teach them the skills and drills and understand how to get to where they want to be,” Miller said.
Miller’s Charg1ng Camp is being hosted on Urbana’s campus over the weekend where the campers are staying in the dorms as part of the experience.
The first day is acclimation and basketball, the second and third days are football-focused.
While some might compare the prospective prep school to Florida’s IMG Academy, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner said there are differences.
“We don’t wanna create an IMG, we wanna create an Urbana Preparatory and Sports Institute,” Smith said. “What I’m saying there is sports will take care of itself. The vocational and educational things that we offer will be a little different than IMG and that’s where we want it to be.”
Miller’s uncle Paul Miller, who is also a part of the investment group, said the financial parameters to purchase the campus have not been established yet as Franklin University has not named a price.
But the group said they do have the financial backing to make the acquisition happen and are confident a deal can be made in the near future.
“So many different things that we have to take care of first. But they’re all positive things. It’s all been good,” Smith said. “We have a couple of major companies that really, really want to invest with us and there are incredibly transparent people. And that’s what we’re looking for.”
Former OSU head football coach and current Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel spoke at the football camp and said he is proud to see how the two Ohio State greats are teaming up.
“It’s just fun to watch these young guys grow up to turn into difference-makers in the state of Ohio and Urbana,” Tressel said. “This is gonna be fun.”
So far, Miller and Smith said the idea is being met with positive support from the community.
“When you know and you can feel that someone has your back, it’s a different level of confidence that you’re willing to put out there,” Smith said. “You know what I mean? So the support means everything.”
“It was a big accomplishment to allow us to be on campus and so we’re at the last little bit,” Miller said. “So we’ll see. Big things coming for sure.”
The group hopes to have the prep school open in 2023 but there is currently no deal in place to purchase the campus from Franklin University.
