Ohio State has been looking for a commercial sponsor patch for its football jerseys after the NCAA changed its uniform guidelines. Now, a leaked photo of their 2026 jersey suggests that the Buckeyes might have found their sponsor.

On July 22, Barstool Ohio State posted a leaked image of Ohio State’s uniform for the 2026 season on X. The No. 2 jersey featuring the name of JPMorgan Chase (Chase Bank), which will be the first corporate sponsor to have its logo placed directly on the historic Ohio State Buckeyes football uniform.

Ohio State having Chase Bank as its sponsor makes a lot of sense. While their headquarters are in New York, Columbus, Ohio, is the company’s largest employment center outside of Manhattan. They are well-versed in Ohio’s economy. Chase Bank has been aggressively expanding its reach into the athletic-jersey retail market.

They signed a deal in July 2026 as the exclusive jersey patch sponsor for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. As the largest institution in the USA, they have the funds to help cover Ohio State’s expected multi-million-dollar annual asking price for the patch. However, this is only a leaked photo. The program has yet to confirm the news or release an official photo of their 2026 uniform.

Athletic director Ross Bjork has repeatedly stressed that Ohio State will take its time in making this decision. In his remarks late in June, the AD discussed finding new revenue streams for the program.

“Obviously, look, we’ve done the Safelite Field. We’re in conversations around a jersey patch. What does that look like? Hopefully, we can get something done before the season,” Bjork said, according to Eleven Warriors. 

Another very major thing AD Bjork has mentioned is that the iconic scarlet-and-gray heritage has to be maintained. “Let’s talk about a white color or a gray color… Let’s just put it that way because we have some prominent companies right here in Columbus that have blue in their colors,” he said.

JP Morgan’s logo is blue, and Ohio State and Michigan, in their rivalry, prohibit any blue on their jerseys. Either heavy negotiations are happening between the two to mask the blue. Or there are many other companies waiting to get in on the deal.

Potential companies that were on Ohio State’s radar

Ohio State’s athletic department and marketing partner Learfield have been actively engaging several prominent local and national brands for their first-ever commercial jersey patch partnership.

Top local contenders for the patch included Nationwide Insurance, headquartered in Columbus. They have deep roots at Ohio State and hold major naming rights for Arena District facilities. Next in line is Safelite AutoGlass, which famously bought the field-naming rights to Safelite Field at Ohio Stadium in 2022.

Huntington National Bank, based in Columbus, plays a significant role in local collegiate financing and oversees extensive commercial banking across the Midwest. They are also in talks with the program to take the patch.