Ohio State University School Colors
Ohio State University's school colors are Scarlet (#BA0C2F) and Gray (#A7B1B7). Ohio State's brand standards define 15 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Ohio State colors
Ohio State's Trademark and Licensing Services says scarlet and gray have been the official colors since 1878. Three students chose them in a lecture room in University Hall. One of them, Alice Townshend Wing, later said the pair was pleasing and had not yet been taken by any other college.
Sources: trademarklicensing.osu.edu
Photo: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: The original uploader was Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Ohio State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet | #BA0C2F | 186, 12, 47 | 3, 100, 70, 12 | PMS 200 | |
| Gray | #A7B1B7 | 167, 177, 183 | 21, 11, 9, 23 | PMS 429 Offset printing: K only 35% | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
Ohio State secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet 40% darker | #70071C | 112, 7, 28 | 32, 100, 84, 45 | — | |
| Scarlet 60% darker | #4A0513 | 74, 5, 19 | 44, 89, 71, 67 | — | |
| Gray 80% darker | #212325 | 33, 35, 37 | 43, 22, 20, 83 | Offset printing: K only 88% |
Additional Ohio State palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accent PMS 298 | #41B6E6 | 65, 182, 230 | 67, 2, 0, 0 | PMS 298 | |
| Accent PMS 1645 | #FF6A39 | 255, 106, 57 | 0, 63, 75, 0 | PMS 1645 | |
| Accent PMS 7487 | #8EDD65 | 142, 221, 101 | 42, 0, 62, 0 | PMS 7487 | |
| Accent PMS 4635 | #946037 | 148, 96, 55 | 12, 58, 81, 42 | PMS 4635 | |
| Accent PMS 1777 | #FB637E | 251, 99, 126 | 0, 66, 29, 0 | PMS 1777 | |
| Accent PMS 2425 | #830065 | 131, 0, 101 | 40, 100, 10, 26 | PMS 2425 | |
| Accent PMS 563 | #6EBBAB | 110, 187, 171 | 50, 0, 29, 2 | PMS 563 | |
| Accent PMS 5473 | #26686D | 38, 104, 109 | 86, 20, 32, 51 | PMS 5473 | |
| Accent PMS 7549 | #FFB600 | 255, 182, 0 | 0, 22, 100, 2 | PMS 7549 |
Matching Ohio State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Ohio State's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Ohio State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 1131 styles close to Scarlet, 1320 styles close to Gray.
Clothing in Scarlet #BA0C2F
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Scarlet, measured from the garment itself. 1131 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Gray #A7B1B7
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Gray, measured from the garment itself. 1320 matching styles in stock.
Ohio State colors: frequently asked questions
What are Ohio State school colors?
Ohio State University's school colors are Scarlet (#BA0C2F) and Gray (#A7B1B7). The official brand palette also includes White as a primary color, plus 12 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Ohio State Scarlet?
Ohio State Scarlet is #BA0C2F (RGB 186, 12, 47, CMYK 3, 100, 70, 12).
What is the hex code for Ohio State Gray?
Ohio State Gray is #A7B1B7 (RGB 167, 177, 183, CMYK 21, 11, 9, 23).
What Pantone color is Ohio State Scarlet?
Ohio State Scarlet is PMS 200.
What Pantone color is Ohio State Gray?
Ohio State Gray is PMS 429.
Why are Ohio State's colors Scarlet and Gray?
Ohio State's Trademark and Licensing Services says scarlet and gray have been the official colors since 1878. Three students chose them in a lecture room in University Hall.
Color values are taken from the official Ohio State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ohio State University. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.