Ohio State Unveils New Black Uniforms in Trending Video and Photo, Features Heritage Stripes

The Ohio State Buckeyes may be known as the Scarlet and Gray, but they are going to have a black alternate uniform in 2026.

Ohio State released a new black alternate uniform on Monday that features Scarlet and Gray Heritage sleeves and scarlet numbers. 

This comes after the program posted a teaser Sunday revealing it would release something Monday at 6:14 p.m. ET. The 6:14 time was notable since the area code of Columbus, Ohio, is 614.

Dan Aulbach of the Columbus Dispatch noted Ohio State last wore all-black jerseys during the 2022 campaign.

However, 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Caleb Downs hinted at their return in January during an interview.

"I wish they'd let us wear black, I'm going to be honest," he said (h/t Aulbach). "We didn't get to wear them since I've been here. ... They're supposed to wear them next year."

The inclusion of the Heritage Stripes is the biggest change from the previous black jersey. Ohio State featured such stripes during the 1944-56, 1967-78 and 1988-2005 seasons and have since brought them back for certain College Football Playoff games.

The Buckeyes last wore them during the CFP national title game in January 2025.

Logic dictates Ohio State will wear the new black uniforms during a home night game in the 2026 season, but it remains to be seen which contests will be at night. After all, the traditional rivalry game with Michigan is at noon ET, while the Big Ten's television contract with Fox often means the conference's marquee games on a given Saturday take place at noon.

And Ohio State is consistently featured in those marquee games given its stature in the college football world. The home game against Oregon could very well be at noon, and the Buckeyes are on the road for key games against Texas, Indiana and USC.

That means the black uniforms might be the primary attraction for one of the other conference home games against Illinois, Maryland or Northwestern.