Best Uniforms in College Football You’re Not Familiar With
Whether you like it or not, uniforms have become an integral part of both the fan and player experience in college football. Uniforms are trending in more of a direction of symbolism than flash these days, which I personally believe is great for not only the enjoyment of the players and fans, but also the overall credibility of the institution. Programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, Penn State, Texas, etc. have all established their own brand in the world of college football, so teams of that caliber will be omitted from this list. With that said, here are some of the lesser known teams in each conference that look the part of a legitimate program.
Service Academies
The days of the service academies competing for national championships are perhaps over, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking tremendous pride in the way they present themselves on the field. As some of our nations best and brightest, they represent themselves and their respective institutions well no matter the score on the scoreboard.
With that said, the performance on the field has matched their fresh threads to the tune of a combined 8–1 record to begin the 2016 campaign (AFA and Navy 3–0, Army 2–0).
Notre Dame who? The best logo-less gold helmet in college football belongs to the Army Black Knights.
Air Force’s “Sharktooth” uniforms are some of the best alternates in college football.
Others (Virginia Tech, Old Dominion) have tried to make this helmet template work, but Navy’s rendition is untouchable.
AAC
Central Florida has created quite the brand for itself with the bold lettering its teams have displayed for several years. With this slight tweak, they now have three quality helmets and an endless combination of good looking uniforms available to them.
ACC
Sure, these uniforms look nice. They utilized a fairly common color scheme, and made a slight variation to a common lettering template. What makes this set of uniforms truly unique is the symbolism behind why they look the way they do. First and foremost, this institution prides itself on it’s long and rich academic history, which began in 1834. The notches on the shoulder of the jersey are representative of wrought-iron sculpted W’s found incorporated into architecture all around the campus, which are at 18 and 34 degree angles. Well done, Wake.
Big XII
It is easy to lose track of Oklahoma State in the Big XII conference. Overshadowed by titans of the college football landscape Oklahoma and Texas, and outshined in recent years by up and coming TCU and Baylor, the ‘Pokes gets lost in the shuffle despite consistency on the football field. Coming off of a questionable rebrand a few years ago, Nike and OSU hit the nail on the head with this new look. The cowboy bandana trim on the collar and cuffs give these new uniforms a unique look that only OSU possesses.
Big Ten
Seriously, was there an ordinance sent out by the NCAA mandating all teams with a black and gold color scheme to release phenomenal new uniforms for the 2016 season? The cowcatcher pattern on the shoulder pad area of the jersey seals the deal on these sweet unit, and perhaps even better are the crispy white threads.
Conference USA
Rather than bore you by outlining the literal thousands of uniform combinations MTSU has available to them, I will just formally invite all of the readers of this article to view this slideshow compiled by the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. After a showing in the NCAA Basketball Tournament that included a shocking upset of Michigan State, MTSU can be found lighting up scoreboards all across the southeast this football season. This athletic department is doing things the right way, and it shows on the field in both aesthetics and performance.
Mountain West
The amount of detail that went into this uniform design is unmatched in all of sports. Nike did not cut corners in the intricate design of the Aztec calendar, which is featured on the pants and shoulder of the jersey, and displayed in full on the helmet. The combination of a unique mascot, the symbolism drawn from said mascot, and dedication to a theme make this uniform stand out among the best in college football.
Pac-12
In a part of the world where the standard of college football uniforms runs through a little town called Eugene, there lies several programs that are loaded to the brim with exciting uniform combinations. This is most true of the Washington Huskies, who now have 3 helmet choices, 3 jerseys, and 4 pant colors to work with after their 2015 rebrand.
Honorable Mentions:
Colorado Buffaloes: I couldn’t bear to include another black and gold team, but this white helmet is worth mentioning!
Utah Utes: The mountains on the shoulder is one of my favorite hat tips included on a uniform in all of college football. I can appreciate a uniform that wears their culture on their sleeve (literally).
SEC
Let’s face it, nobody flies under the radar in the SEC. However nobody… NOBODY does an all-white uniform like the SEC. Nobody.
