Contents The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The five stripes also represent that Ohio is one of the five states that comprised the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin). [ 1 ] The 17 stars symbolize that Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the union. The 13 stars on the left, above, and below the circle are for the 13 original colonies of the United States. The white circle with its red center not only represents the first letter of the state's name, but also its nickname, "the Buckeye State." [ 2 ] The flag forms the basis of the logo of the NHL hockey team, the Columbus Blue Jackets . [ 4 ] It is also regularly flown by The Ohio State University Marching Band during football games. Specifically, the flag of Ohio is flown by the percussion section of the band (JI-Row) which has embraced the flag as its row mascot. The general assembly hereby establishes a recommended procedure for the folding of the state flag by two people. The procedure is as follows: With the flag unfolded, fold the flag in half lengthwise so that the points of the flag are aligned. Fold the flag in half lengthwise a second time to form a long strip with the red disc facing the ground. Next, fold the pointed end back onto itself to form a rectangle. These steps entail three folds. Starting on the end