Ohio State officially bringing back gray 'heritage' stripe on jerseys

COLUMBUS — The long wait is over, Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes are finally bringing their gray ‘Heritage’ stripe on the shoulder of the jersey back to their full-time uniform.

The feature was announced on social media Wednesday morning, making official what has long-been rumored to be a shift for the program’s jerseys.

Ohio State last wore gray stripes on the shoulder of its jerseys 20 years ago before they were changed by Nike. Since then, the stripe has been a ‘big game’ staple but hasn’t been a permanent fixture on the uniforms.

It’s back on our shoulders.
And we carry it forward 📌 pic.twitter.com/mP20IVxqGl

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 13, 2026

The Buckeyes wore the gray stripe on their jerseys during the spring game, even further making the rumor go wild on social media. They used those same platforms to make the announcement Monday evening.

Ohio State has used the gray stripe exclusively for College Football Playoff games from the four-team CFP era and then broke them out for the 2025 national title win, a 34-23 win over Notre Dame to capture the program’s ninth national title. Each of the last two national title wins, 2025 and 2015, were accomplished with the gray stripe on the sleeve.

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to the everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. 

Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.