The Ohio athletics department will honor the life of Dan Lowe, former promotions coordinator and O-Zone leader, during halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game in The Convo.
Lowe, known to most simply as D-Lo
passed away suddenly on June 24, 2005, at the age of 24.
The circumstances surrounding Lowe's life as well as death have left many believing that his presence as Ohio's greatest fan and creator of the O-Zone will forever be felt in The Convo.
Something to me that was somewhat eerie almost surreal about the fact that when he passed away he literally passed away in the O-Zone
Ohio coach Tim O'Shea said.
On the evening of June 24, Lowe was playing a pick-up game of basketball in The Convo when he suddenly collapsed from heart failure.
I don't know how you say this
but I think if Dan knew he was going to die young and he had no choice in the matter
O'Shea said, he probably would have wanted to be playing basketball and doing what he loved most -- in a place that he felt so comfortable within and (experienced) so many happy moments. To me
it's somewhat eerie that that's where he took his last breath - in the Convocation Center playing basketball. The bleachers were pushed in - we were playing cross-court - so literally he passed away right there in the O-Zone. I don't know what you can say. I think it speaks for itself.
Lowe first arrived at Ohio in the fall of 1999 when he enrolled in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Along with a few of his friends, Lowe attended every home basketball game in 2000-01 clad in colorful Bobcat gear, giving themselves the title of the Convocation Nation.
He and his buddies
I'd say a group of five or six guys
would sit in the front row of every game
O'Shea said. They made it an event to go to. I think it's one of the reasons the home court has been so strong here in Athens. I think 19 out of our last 20 (home games are wins).
When the 2001-02 season began, the athletics department announced the creation of the O-Zone, a student section located in the first few rows of The Convo, and Lowe became the figurehead of the student fans.
Although Lowe was often visible within the student section of basketball games, he also spent considerable time working with Campus Crusade for Christ.
He was very humble and a very gentle man
Campus Crusade for Christ student leader Scott Byer said. He was so strong and he was secure in who he was as a man of faith. What was neat about him was he brought out the best in you. He was just a man who took time out of his day just to listen to how you were doing
