Columbus Logos: 3 Logos and the Meaning Behind Them

by John Amato

Columbus is more than just the state capital of Ohio—it’s home to the Columbus Clippers, Columbus Crew SC, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. These three teams represent the majority of the Columbus sports community (minus, of course, The Buckeyes). 

Whether you’re a baseball, hockey, or soccer fan, you probably have a strong emotional connection to one of these teams from Columbus. 

At Jupmode, we offer customized t-shirt screen printing and embroidery services to the Columbus area. Because of this, we thought it would be fun to take a closer look at the logos of these popular Columbus sports teams.

Here are some well-known Columbus logos and the meaning behind them.

1 - The Columbus Blue Jackets Patriotic Logo

Columbus Blue Jackets logo

Columbus Blue Jackets  have had three logos since their inception in November 1997. 

The first logo had an inscription and an emblem with a red ribbon and 13 stars, which stood for the 13 American colonies. This logo also featured a yellow J-shaped hockey stick, symbolizing Columbus, topped off with the Ohio silver star.

The second logo still had the 13 white stars and the yellow J-shaped hockey stick. But the “Columbus Blue Jackets” textual elements were removed.

Finally, the third logo features a sizable silver star wrapped up in the Ohio flag in a letter “C” shape.

The following table shows the evolution of the Columbus Blue Jackets logo from its initial design in 2000 to its current design.

2000–2003 2004–2007 2008–Today

Columbus Blue Jackets logo from 2000 to 2003

Columbus Blue Jackets logo from 2004 to 2007

Columbus Blue Jackets logo from 2008 to present

The logos are a reflection of Ohio’s patriotism—they pay tribute to Ohio’s tremendous efforts during the American Civil War

The state of Ohio was extremely proud of the role it played in helping the Northern Army by deploying military personnel. It supplied 319,189 Union soldiers who contributed to the army’s victory. 

The Union soldiers wore blue uniforms, which gave rise to the name “Columbus Blue Jackets.”

Although the logo designs have changed over the years, they still bear the same meaning—Ohio’s patriotism.

2 - The Columbus Crew SC Hard-Work Representation Logo

Columbus Crew SC logo

The Columbus Crew SC club has had four logos since its origin in 1996. The first logo had three silhouetted men wearing safety hats underneath a stylized “Crew” word mark. 

This logo was designed to represent a group of hard-working people.

After more than 15 years, October 8, 2014 saw the release of the second logo. It had a new circular-shaped badge with the club’s traditional yellow and black colors.

The shield in the logo paid homage to the team’s original emblem, while the “96” represented 1996—the team’s first year in competition.

The third and fourth logos were both created in 2021. The fourth logo was different from the third in that the word “crew” replaced “SC”. Then“96” was added at the bottom right side to complete the new logo.

The logos had a new design (banner shape) but retained the meaning of the previous badge—a representation of hard work.

The following table shows the evolution of the Columbus Crew SC logo from its first design in 1996 to its current design.

1996–2014 2014–2021 2021–Now

Columbus Crew logo from 1996 to 2014

Columbus Crew logo from 2014 to 2021

Columbus Crew logos from 2021 to present

3 - The Columbus Clippers Speedy Merchant Ships Logo

Columbus Clippers logo

The Columbus Clippers team has had two logos since its inception in 1996. The logos are notable because they feature a stylized depiction of a clipper ship—a sailing vessel that was extremely fast and sleek.

The emphasis on the name came because the clipper ship was known for three things:

  • Being streamlined and built for speed
  • Carrying as much canvas as possible
  • Sailing day and night in all weather conditions

The logos show a ship sailing out of the large blue “C” stylized waves—a symbol of the team’s marine theme roots and competitive resilience.

Although the logos’ message has remained the same, the ship’s design has changed over time. The first logo shows a ship sailing out of the “C”, while the second one features the now much smaller ship sailing over the team’s full name. 

The table below depicts the evolution of the Columbus Clippers logo from its first design in 1996 to its current design.

1996–2008 2009–Today

Columbus Clippers logo from 1996 to 2008

Columbus Clippers logo from 2009 to present

Represent Your Team With Custom Columbus T-Shirts

If you’re planning for an upcoming event and want to show up prepared, flaunting your team’s colors and pride, there is no better option than to work with our crew at Jupmode

Even if you’re not a sports fanatic we have something for you. Our collection of Ohio shirts and sweatshirts will help you represent your state with pride. They also make fantastic gifts for friends and family.

We specialize in creating custom Columbus t-shirts screen printed or embroidered for:

  • Individuals
  • Businesses
  • Schools
  • Bands
  • Conferences
  • Teams

For more than 15 years, we’ve been masters of custom embroidery and printing, making fun and trendy t-shirts for Midwesternersand helping people stand out at their favorite sporting events.

“Amazing! I came to Jupmode with a request to replicate an old shirt from the 70s. They did an amazing job with the design and the shirts are super comfy, good quality too! They had a quick turnaround time with both production (about 15 shirts) and shipping. Would definitely recommend it.”
- Allene S.

Fill out the form on our custom embroidery and screen printing page today to request a quote for your custom order. If you run into any issues contact us right away for prompt assistance.

“Great store for Toledo and Ohio based clothing. Staff was very friendly, and the clothing selection was great. Bought multiple gifts for my wife from here as we no longer live in the Midwest but she appreciates the celebration.”
- Devin C.

attend the upcoming game looking like a true sports fan

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