Urban Meyer reveals his true feelings on Ohio State's all-black uniforms

Fans of certain schools might tell you alternate uniforms are not an option. Once upon a time, the Ohio State Buckeyes were likely one of those. Ohio State is one of the most iconic programs in college football, rocking two incredibly traditional looks. But in recent years, an all-black uniform was thrown into the mix.

What does somebody like Urban Meyer think of those? Turns out, he was the one behind getting them in the rotation for Ohio State. Along with athletic director Gene Smith, Meyer viewed the all black jerseys as a chance to make a move in the recruiting world. Yes, some fans might be upset, but Meyer was ready to take the risk.

“When I was at Ohio State, early in my career, Gene Smith and I had a meeting with Nike,” Meyer said via The Triple Option podcast. “They came to Ohio State’s campus in the spring and they sat and they started showing these alternate uniforms. They put this all black up there.

“I kind of looked up and looked over at Gene and we stared at each other for a second. Afterward, he said ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘We gotta do it.’ He said, ‘You know, the alumni will kill us for this’ … I love tradition. But there’s one thing I love more than tradition. It’s called recruiting. And the players loved the all blacks.”

Well, as if Ohio State needed any kind of recruiting advantage. Meyer did a great job bringing some of the best talent out there to Columbus. The black uniforms may have been part of the selling points. Most players out there love it when a cool switch-up does come, spending at least one game away from the traditional look.

However, Ohio State has not pulled out the black uniforms in quite some time. We did see a ‘Wear Black’ campaign for the Penn State game this season, one where fans were encouraged to wear black apparel. However, the team itself came out in the traditional scarlet jerseys and eventually earned a massive win, 38-14.

Based on the games remaining on the 2025 schedule, it’s unlikely we’ll see them this year. Especially as a run to the Big Ten Championship and likely the College Football Playoff is made. Head coach Ryan Day is going to stick with the look we have seen countless times from Ohio State.