Ohio State Logo

Ohio State LogoOhio State Logo PNG

The approach to branding used by The Ohio State University is called “monolithic,” or a “branded house.” It means that the Ohio State emblem is the main identifier in all communications, while any supplementary iconography, marks or artwork is allowed only if they are placed at a certain distance from the primary emblem. In addition to the main logo, the University has a seal and an athletic logo.

Meaning and history

Ohio State Logo

The academic logo is comprised of the Block “O” emblem and the wordmark. The capital “O” has a diamond shape due to the cut corners. The letter itself is scarlet with two frames, white and grey. The Block “O” can’t be used without the wordmark, which can be displayed either to the right or below. The lettering features grey characters combined with a baseline.

What is Ohio State?
Ohio State is the shortened name for both the Ohio State University and its athletic program. The public research university was established in Columbus in 1870, and today its campuses are located in six cities. Ohio State University has more than 60 thousand students and 7 thousand academic staff.

University seal

ohio state university logo

The seal is based on a shield shape containing an “O,” an opened book, and a buckeye – the symbol of Ohio. The shield is encircled with the name of the University, while the year when it was founded is given below.

The old seal featured a circular “O” and the following colors: dark red, yellow, white, black, and green. In 2013, the seal was updated to include an “O” with cut angles like the one featured in the primary Ohio State logo. The color scheme was modified, too. It now sports two shades of red, grey, and white. The use of the seal is limited to several official sources.

Old athletic symbol

Ohio State symbol

In 1958 – 1986, the logo of the Ohio State Buckeyes athletic teams representing the University was very simple: just the Block “O” in red with two frames: a white and a black one. In 1987, the frames went black, while the white words “Ohio State” with a black outline appeared in front of the Block “O.” Also, the proportions of the “O” were slightly modified.

The 2013 athletic emblem

Ohio State emblem

In 2013, the characters in the lettering “Ohio State” were colored black As the University later explained, this was done in order to make the logo more appropriate for digital media. In fact, the new logo boasts greater legibility, in comparison with its predecessor.

Also, the Ohio State Buckeyes went through a series of secondary logos depicting the club’s mascot, Brutus Buckeye. The mascot was introduced in 1965. The reason why the plant had been chosen was very simple: the buckeye is the official tree of Ohio.

Ohio State Buckeyes football

Ohio State Buckeyes football logo

The football program of Ohio State University has been very successful. Moreover, in 2017, it was valued higher than any other intercollegiate football program in the US.

The team has won eight national championships (the first one in 1942, the most recent one in 2014). As of 2019, the Buckeyes have had ten undefeated seasons and six perfect seasons (meaning there were no losses or ties during these seasons). They have won a championship in the Big Ten 37 times and have appeared in 50 bowl games.

Ohio State Buckeyes basketball

Ohio State Buckeyes basketball logo

In 1993, the women’s basketball team became the NCAA Tournament Runner-up. As of 2019, they have competed in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on three occasions and have had a total of 24 NCAA Tournament appearances. The list of other important achievements includes becoming Conference Tournament Champions five times and becoming Conference Regular Season Champions on 15 occasions.

The men’s basketball team of Ohio State University became the NCAA Tournament Champions in 1960. They have competed in the NCAA Tournament Final Four on 11 occasions and have made 33 NCAA Tournament appearances. Moreover, they are two time NIT champions and have won four Big Ten Tournament championships.

Font

Ohio State Font

The Ohio State University wordmark features a highly legible serif typeface with classic glyphs. At first glance, it may appear a bit like one of the University’s official fonts, Capita, yet Capita has softer, rounded angles, while the wordmark font has sharper angles.

The athletic logo isn’t based on any of the existing fonts. However, there exists a fan made typeface imitating the glyphs used in the wordmark. The type is called Ohio Collegiate.

Colors

Colors Ohio State logo

The University’s official colors are scarlet and gray. While this is the preferable combination, in some circumstances the Ohio State logo may be given in scarlet and black or just one of the three colors with white for the background.

Can I use the Ohio State logo?
The Ohio State University allows using its official logo with no restrictions, but under one condition: the badge can not be changed and should be used directly as it is. Hence, if you want to use the Ohio State logo, go forward, but do not modify it, so as not to get in trouble

Is Block O trademarked?
Yes, the Block O logo is a trademark, owned by the Ohio State University. However, Ohio State allows using its badge without any official licensing, but it should be kept in its original state with no changes made. If you use it for business purposes, you should accompany it with the “TM” sign.

What is the logo of Ohio State?
The logo of the Ohio State University is composed of a heavy geometric letter “O” in burgundy, with a double white and gray outline, both inside and outside the character. The “O” is overlapped by an arched white banner with the narrowed black “Ohio State” lettering executed in the uppercase of an angular sans-serif font with straight lines and right angles.

Is Brutus Buckeye trademarked?
Brutus Buckeye is the name of the Ohio State University mascot, which was introduced in 1965, and is a registered trademark. Unlike its logo, the image of the Ohio State mascot can not be used without the official permission of the University.

Menu