2018 NCAA CFB Uniform Recap

With football season just about to start, many teams looking to upgrade their uniforms one way or another. While previous seasons have seen major changes in uniform design for teams, this year consists more of minor tweaks and template changes. Even though there are a lot of teams listed here, most will look fairly similar to last year.

2018 marks the fifth anniversary of the Auburn Uniform Database, but the seventh NCAA CFB Uniform Recap that I have compiled. Each edition has been bigger than the previous, incorporating over 120 teams last season. This edition will also surpass the 120 mark.

This season also marks the 150th year of college football. The 100th anniversary was a huge deal in 1969, with a majority of teams wearing a 100 decal prominently on their helmets. Don’t expect the same celebration this time around, sadly. Team branding is too much of a priority nowadays that there’s no way any school will abandon their logo for something like this. I personally think we will be lucky to even see it as a decal on the backside of the helmets.

ACC

Clemson

The Tigers inked a new 10-year, $58 million extension with Nike that now runs through the 2027-28 athletic season.

Duke

Minor change for Duke with a big impact, as the Blue Devils have updated to the Nike Vapor Untouchable template.

Florida State

FSU showcased an alternate black uniform design when they revealed the current set back in 2014. That design was shelved for a long time, only making a few appearances. With new coach Willie Taggart coming from Oregon, there’s a possibility we’ll see many more combinations going forward. According to some social media posts by a few players, it is expected that the Seminoles will wear their black jerseys with their gold pants for the opening game against Virginia Tech.

Georgia Tech
GT’s new stinger-inspired uniforms are a great evolution of their uniforms. (image via Georgia Tech Athletics)

Gone is Russell Athletic and in is adidas. With the change came a branding refresh including a new custom font. Georgia Tech’s new Primeknit A1 uniforms are one of adidas’ best jobs over the last few years. The stinger-style striping works really well. I love the idea of the two white jerseys – gold numbers for home games, navy for road trips. The white helmet feels out of place with the striping. The striping also looks terrible on the back end. All in all, it’s a great look for the Yellow Jackets. No navy uniforms were revealed, as they’ll probably be shown off before a bowl game.

Louisville

The Cardinals have updated to the new Primeknit A1 template from adidas. The wing design on the shoulders has also seen an update. They’re also placed at a steeper angle, which effects the TV numbers. No idea why they decided to place them at an angle rather than straight on, but it was the wrong decision. The side of the jerseys also feature a circle of stars from the city flag. Louisville’s new uniforms would have been really nice if it weren’t for that.

Miami (FL)

Minor change for the Hurricanes, but one that improves the look tremendously. Miami has updated to adidas’ new Primeknit A1 template that removes the insane tiretread pattern. The U logo is now placed on the collar, the adidas logo has swapped sides on the pants, and the nameplate font has received a makeover. All help Miami look just as good as they always should. The Hurricanes will also be sporting special environmentally friendly uniforms for the opening game against LSU. About 70% of the uniform is made from recycled material. The shoulder caps contrast with the body, and the numbers feature green stitching, which is apparently a prominent feature of the Parley shoe line. The neat aspect of this marketing campaign is the uniforms will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science to help fund educational research.

NC State

After wearing simple and rather plain uniforms the last few years, North Carolina State is changing things up in 2018. The shoulder stripes used on the black alternate last season is now being used across the board. The stripes are bold and I think they work quite well. I like having a new design on the shoulders like this, rather than recycling the same stripe designs that have been used for years. Sadly, the pants are pretty weird and have Wolfpack placed down the left leg, with the right leg blank. The previous set of striped pants would really complete this uniform.

Virginia
Virginia will continue to get compared to Auburn with their latest set of uniforms (that’s not a bad thing). (image via UVA Media Relations)

The Cavilers have dabbled in new uniform designs the last few seasons with Bronco Mendenhall as head coach. This year, Virginia will be sporting a really nice new set of uniforms, with double striping on the helmet, jersey, and pants. The attention to detail is impressive, with a few hidden keys located across the uniform. The number font features notches that match the design of the V in the primary logo. The inner collar of the blue jersey features 10 stars to represent Virginia being the 10th state in the U.S. Union. Virginia will have three helmets to select from, which will hopefully keep the team looking good all season long. Unfortunately, the helmets will only feature the V-saber logo on one side, with the player number on the other. This silly trend is the only detail to detract from a really great look overall.

Virginia Tech

VT is no secret to new uniforms, having tried many different designs over the years and breaking out a multitude of alternate designs. The Hokies will be debuting a brand new set of uniforms this upcoming season that are actually rather similar to their previous design. After sporting a really nice UCLA-stripe design for many years, the new uniforms have tweaked them with a bit of an angle. The new style will be a little off-putting for some who were accustomed to the classic look. I think it does a great job of representing the school’s previous design and making it more modern. The numbers feature a sublimated brick pattern that was used with the Hokie-stone helmet and uniforms in previous seasons. The unfortunate aspects of this design are the plain, stripeless pants (which is another bad trend in uniform design) and the tapering stripes on the helmet. Copy the stripes from the jerseys, even at an angle on the pants, and this set could look much better.

AAC

Cincinnati

Small change for the Bearcats, who look to have removed the striping from their helmets. True shame, really, as the striping worked well.

Connecticut

UConn is expected to have new uniforms for the 2019 season. For this season, though, the Huskies will be sporting the old block-C helmets for six games. That leads me to think the new uniforms next year could very well feature the old logo full time. The block-C logo was used until 2012 when the school unified all the athletic teams under a single brand.

East Carolina

After switching to adidas a few season ago, East Carolina is now taking the opportunity to update their look. Teaming up with adidas, ECU has revealed a new pattern to be used in many applications. The pattern features six different icons that represent different aspects of the university and branding. The pattern will be used on the pants, and the primary pirate head logo will be boldly represented on the shoulder caps. The new adidas Primeknit A1 template helps with the new look.

Memphis

No official word from Memphis, but it looks like the Tigers have yet another new set of uniforms. From the rough videos shared, the white jerseys have only grey details and the grey uniforms have blue details.

South Florida

USF is one of a many teams that changed uniform providers this season. The Bulls dumped Under Armour for adidas, and the uniforms suffered. After sporting a rather nice look the last few years, the new design is nothing more than a template design from adidas. For some reason, adidas has not been very good at providing teams with the newest template. South Florida is one of multiple new teams that will be wearing older templates. The Shockweb 2.0 template, complete with the infamous tiretreads, does not look good in USF’s dark green. The numbers, chestmark, and shoulder logos are all gold and applied with adidas’ “shiny duct tape” look. It’s hard not to see this as a massive downgrade from the Under Armour era. The black set carries the “Irish rainbow” gradient from previous years. USF has now also been outfitted by Nike, Under Armour, and adidas over the last twelve years. That’s a lot of change for a team that has only been around since 1997.

Temple

Temple has a new set of uniforms for this season, coming in cherry, white, black, and grey. The jerseys feature the school’s iconic pattern in a stripe across the collarbones. The pattern was previously set on the shoulders. The Owls thankfully will still carry the pattern as well. The one drawback is that they placed “Temple Tuff” on the knee stripe. I’m not too keen on a higher education facility publishing “Tuff” in any fashion. Two extra helmet options will be in the rotation this season also, with the script wordmark having an opportunity to replace the T logo. I do love honoring an athlete’s work in the classroom, and Temple has added a special academic patch. Why is it on the back? According to head coach Collins, “academic success is representative of student’s family name.”

Tulsa

New Primeknit A1 uniforms for the Golden Hurricanes. The jerseys will feature gold a lot more than red like previously. It also looks as though Tulsa has removed the striping from the helmets.

Big 12

Baylor

No uniform changes as of now for the Baylor Bears, but they did sign on with VICIS to outfit a majority of their team with the Zero1 helmet. According to the press release, 80 of the 115 members of the team readily selected the helmet, which has been rated at the top of multiple safety tests.

Iowa State
The Cyclones made one of the biggest changes in uniforms from 2017 to 2018, and it might have paid off. (image via Iowa State Athletics)

The Cyclones have had issues trying to separate themselves brand-wise from other red and yellow teams. They once added blue and quickly removed it. Black is the new blue, apparently, as Iowa State has revealed three new uniforms for the upcoming season. The set comes with red, white, and black helmets, jerseys, and pants. There might be a yellow set in the future. The numbers feature a unique curve to resemble a cyclone. While I will miss the UCLA-striped set, I think these have potential. The white jerseys are gorgeous and balance the red and yellow perfectly. The other two jerseys can’t say that. The red top has a black collar, which doesn’t match anything else on the set. The number font is interesting enough without being overboard. It won’t be visible from far away anyways. I think it could use some tweaking and color balancing all around, but it’s a start. It’s hard to move away from what they had, though.

Kansas

Kansas has updated to the new Primeknit A1 template from adidas for this season. The Jayhawk and adidas logos swap placements now as well.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma underwent a brand refresh earlier in the season. The primary logo has been tweaked a bit and the helmet will now reflect the change. A new font is being used for the numbers and wordmarks. The Sooners are also one of the latest teams to join the Jordan Brand team. The Rough Rider alternate uniforms have also seen some tweaks, with the “wheel spokes” on the previous template being removed and traditional pant stripes being added over the short style.

Texas

Very small change for the Longhorns, as Texas has tweaked the wordmark on the front chest. The “Texas” lettering has been widened to take up more real estate on the jersey. It had been the same style for many years prior. The Longhorns have also announced they will be wearing black socks and cleats this year.

West Virginia

New Vapor Untouchable jerseys for WVU. It looks as though the armpit stains have been removed, which is always an improvement. They’re due for a redesign; hopefully it comes sooner than later. West Virginia has also added some really cool “Country Road” rear bumpers to their helmets.

Big 10

It’s not every day you see linemen like #53 Nick Allegretti model new uniforms. (image via Illinois Athletics)

Illinois

A brand simplification and uniform redesign a few years ago was not good enough for Illinois. The Illini will be wearing a new set of uniforms this season with a much simpler design. The Grey Ghost uniforms have also returned. I liked the previous look and thought they were a few tweaks away from being really good. The new look is a little empty, but I think is another good design. The overall design is based off the Dick Butkus era, which explains the solid colors, lack of stripes, and lack of contrasting outlines. One unique aspect are the vertical lines set in the numbers and sides of the jerseys, which are meant to resemble the columns at the school’s football field, Memorial Stadium. The columns were built to honor Illinois soldiers that had lost their lives.

Indiana

Minor changes for the Hoosiers. Indiana has upgraded to the new Primeknit A1 template for starters. The chestmark no longer reads “Hoosiers” but now “Indiana.” The shoulder caps have utilized the candy stripes well, having them in a tone-on-tone application. Though the pants no longer have traditional stripes, they also carry the candy stripes in a sublimated pattern. I wish they had them bolder, but I like this style. Indiana will also wear memorial decals for former coach Bill Mallory, who passed away in May.

Iowa

Last season, Iowa wore alternate grey and black uniforms against Ohio State. Looks like some elements stuck with the Hawkeyes, as they have updated their primary uniforms – also now on the Vapor Untouchable template – with the font used on the alternates. I think it works better on the Steelers-clones, and helps differentiate themselves from Pittsburgh.

Maryland

The Terps have made a few tweaks to their uniforms this season. The black stripe on the jerseys that separated the body color from the Maryland flag pattern has now been removed. The pants will also not have the kneecap stripe. The hip logo used to be the Maryland flag but is now the school’s M logo. The helmets used to have “Maryland” written in large letters on the back, but that has also been removed. Players will also wear a #79 decal on their helmets to honor Jordan McNair, who died this summer from heat stroke after a workout.

Michigan
Chrome helmets are among the many new additions to PJ Fleck’s newest team.(image via Minnesota Athletics)

Michigan is making a change to the Big House. The end zones on the field will now be blue, rather than the previous green. The blue end zones were used for bowl games in the past.

Minnesota

PJ Fleck strikes again. The new Golden Gopher coach has attacked the university’s branding standards and substituted his own brand. The “Row the Boat” mantra and trademark Fleck had at Western Michigan has transitioned about 500 miles northwest and infiltrated Minneapolis. Fleck had thrown boat oars on Western Michigan’s uniforms years ago, and the Gophers have contacted the same disease. The collars and numbers feature a sublimated oar pattern and an oar even adorns the helmets as a stripe. The new maroon, white, and grey uniforms will also have a gold chrome helmet in the rotation. No gold elements were revealed and it would be an even bigger downgrade if they leave it out altogether. The previous set was so good, too.

Nebraska

New Primeknit A1 uniforms are on tap for Nebraska. The lack of tiretreads has helped every team. Very few changes were made with the Huskers. The biggest adjustment is the “winning tradition” patch moved to the upper left chest since the adidas logo was moved from the center of the chest. It also looks like the red pants have lost the stripe, and the same is possible for the white ones.

Purdue

Looks as though Purdue has new matte gold helmets for this season. The Boilermakers are no stranger to alternate helmets, having worn black and chrome helmets recently.

Rutgers

Rutgers has a new look for this season. The Primeknit A1 template was the right opportunity to change up the design. Where Rutgers wore some pretty bland and empty uniforms last year, they now have stripes. Northwestern stripes don the shoulders and pants, with the latter being cut off at an odd shape. Rutgers has always been an odd case for me, never really looking great. I don’t think these stripes fix that completely. It feels unbalanced with the empty helmet as well.

C-USA

Marshall

The Thundering Herd have made minor adjustments to their uniforms, mainly with upgrading to the Vapor Untouchable template. The chestmark also pops a lot more with the new black outline.

North Texas

North Texas tried to jump in on the Fortnite craze during the summer, by showing off all the uniform combos in a menu that mimics the game. Those images showcased what looked to be a new set of grey pants to match the jerseys worn last year. Looks as though the Mean Green will also have a new turf design this year, which features the state outline at midfield and white lettering in the green endzones. The previous design had green lettering in the unpainted endzones.

Old Dominion

Template upgrades are in order for the Monarchs. Old Dominion took the opportunity to finally upgrade from the “double stitch” template and removed the previously shortened shoulder stripes. The new uniforms feature the school shield logo on the shoulders.

Rice

The Owls have new adidas uniforms and they’re…odd. The design is rather similar – plain and simple, blue and white. But it’s the template that causes the confusion. While most teams are jumping on board with the latest and greatest styles, Rice went with the Techfit Hyped jerseys, which feature a large collar and more panels and ventilation areas than adidas has used in years. The move is an odd one – unprecedented, for sure – for an FBS level school. I originally thought they might be preparing to move on from adidas, as Michigan and UCLA both wore lower level style jerseys the last year of their deals. But Rice signed an extension with adidas back in April through the 2023-24 season.

Southern Miss

One of the final Russell Athletic hold outs has moved on to adidas. The new Shockweb 2.0 uniforms are rather simple, but are a nice, clean look for Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles will once again have gold, black, and white uniforms to mix and match. They will also be wearing special helmet decals to honor OB Bowen, who passed away in January from cancer. Bowen was a longtime assistant coach with the Golden Eagles and considered a legend around Hattiesburg.

UTEP
UTEP’s new orange is a bit different, but the new uniforms look great. (image via UTEP Athletics)

The Miners have always bounced around between good and not so good uniform designs. This year’s new uniforms swing back to the good side. The three new uniforms feature a really nice set of stripes on the shoulder caps. Something does seem to be missing, though, as there isn’t enough contrast, especially on the orange jerseys. The pants are mostly blank, minus the white pants which feature the school name on the right leg. UTEP has also tweaked their orange helmets, removing the stripes.

Western Kentucky

New 100 years of football logo of the Hilltoppers. It will be worn as a patch on the jerseys.

Independent

Liberty

The newest team to join the FBS ranks is Liberty University. The Flames have revealed a new logo to commemorate their first year in the upper ranks. Liberty is reportedly having issues finding a conference to join.

Notre Dame

It’s starting to become a trend where college programs mimic a professional team’s uniform for a one-off game. Notre Dame, one of the biggest brands in all of collegiate athletics, will be wearing pinstriped uniforms based on the famous New York Yankees’ (one of the biggest brands in all of sports) uniforms as they play their annual Shamrock Series game in Yankees Stadium. The uniform is a bit divisive, featuring pinstripes on the shoulder caps, entire pants, and on the special helmet logo. The chestmark is written in script like the Yankees, and the number font is meant to also mimic that used by the Bronx Bombers. The matte blue helmet is such a divergence from the classic gold shells that it alone nearly ruins this uniform for me. I’m really not a fan of schools abandoning their branding, which takes a ton of time and money to establish, to simply copy someone else’s work. Notre Dame is also marketing “Irish Wear Green” for their season opening game against Michigan. Many believe that green jerseys will make an appearance.

(image via Notre Dame Athletics)

MAC

Ball State

Ball State has new white jerseys that feature a really great set of UCLA stripes on the shoulders.

Bowling Green
Hard not to love the Falcon’s new helmets, especially that orange shell. (image via Bowling Green Athletics)

The Falcons have made a few changes to their helmets this season. The new orange shells feature a metallic finish and it pops quite nicely. The annual military appreciation helmet will be white this season. I’m not always keen on these kind of designs, but love how Bowling Green does it. The center stripes feature the names of 111 Bowling Green State University students that lost their lives serving our country. There is also a 111 decal on the back of the helmet.

Ohio

Looks as though the Bobcats have transitioned to a new adidas template. With that, the UCLA stripes have been replaced with shoulder stripes. Ohio had tweaked their white jerseys previously, so now the two match again.

Mountain West

Air Force
Air Force never ceases to amaze with their alternate uniforms. (image via Air Force Equipment)

Air Force strikes again with a great alternate uniform. There’s no need to craft a story from scratch when you have the history the Air Force Academy holds. This year the Falcons will be honoring the AC-130 gunship. The helmets will feature a nice artistic design of the gunship on the left side, similar to how Navy featured ships in the fleet a few years back. The other side of the helmet and the right shoulder cap will feature squadrons responsible for flying the AC-130. Air Force also made some minor tweaks to their logo this offseason.

Hawai’i

The Rainbow Warriors have revealed a new set of uniforms that take a lot of inspiration from those worn during one of the most successful tenures in program history. Back in 2007, Hawai’i had a blonde haired quarterback by the name of Colt Brennan who helped lead his team to a WAC championship and a Sugar Bowl bid versus Georgia. The uniform then seems to be the basis for the new design. A tribal pattern dons the left shoulder and thigh, much like a decade ago. Under Armour tried to implement more of a floral pattern with the last set, having it sublimated across the pants, but it didn’t seem to catch on. Black helmets also make their return to the rotation. The new design looks much cleaner and stronger on the new textiles than they did on the shiny and baggy Nike uniforms. It’s a great look with a lot of history for the Warriors. I really hope they have a new rainbow throwback in the works for this season.

Nevada

After a lengthy stay with Nike, Nevada has jumped ship to adidas. The new uniforms are incredibly bland being just navy and white. And grey with the pants, an odd choice. The more odd aspect is that Nevada willingly chose a template from adidas that is two generations obsolete. There’s no reason any team in FBS football, let alone any new team for adidas, to be wearing this template. It’s really a shame, too, because Nevada actually looked pretty good last season, sticking with the minimalist look and grey pants. They didn’t replicate that this time around.

Utah State

Upgrade for the Aggies, who have taken the move to Nike’s Vapor Untouchable template as an opportunity to tweak the uniforms. The jerseys and pants have a new striping pattern that looks to have some Native American inspiration. The numbers no longer have an imprinted pattern.

Wyoming

A few seasons after revealing new Nike uniforms, the Cowboys have switched over to adidas. Their new uniforms are rather similar to the last set, but with a few differences. The shoulder stripes are now more “valley” like, as they curve down in the middle. The pants also have a new stripe pattern. Thankfully they kept the number font and look to have even improved it.

Pac 12

Arizona State
Never question Arizonians’ love for their state flag imagery. (image via Arizona State Athletics)

New coach Herm Edwards was not a fan of the Sun Devils’ uniforms when handed one during his introduction press conference. Edwards was even quoted asking if the game jersey was “a girl’s jersey,” and being appalled at the idea of game jerseys being so small and stretchy. From Pac 12 Media Days, it looks like Herm has made some adjustments to Arizona State’s uniforms for his first season. The pitchfork is now gone from the shoulders. “Sun Devils” is placed on both pant legs. As much as I liked what Nike did with the pitchfork in 2013, I thought adidas did it better. I’m ok with the removal of the pitchfork is that means Sparky is back more. I do love the subtle design element of the state flag being sublimated on the chest. I am interested to see how prevalent it is during the games, though.

Oregon

The darlings of college football uniforms are at it again. Oregon revealed four new uniforms, in the expected colors of green, yellow, white, and black. The unexpected part, however, was the restraint seen with the design. Oregon has worn some very loud, unexpected, and revolutionary uniforms over the years, but these will not be in that category. The uniforms showcased feature the return of the winged helmets – although mostly in a tone-on-tone fashion – blank plants with the only flare being a large O logo, and jerseys with their own mystique. The tops have few elements that scream Oregon football – no stripes, no wings, in fact, nothing on the shoulders at all. Large numbers are used on the jerseys, which has honestly been the biggest point of discussion. A military-style name badge is located on the chest, very similar to what the Jacksonville Jaguars had originally planned for their previous uniform set. Contrasting colored nameplates have been commonplace in hockey, but not so in football. Oregon looks to be changing that. Personally, I think these uniforms are rather underwhelming for Oregon’s standards, but a quality look overall. I surprised myself when I determined the black with neon green details was my favorite of the bunch. My biggest gripe is that Oregon has always been the one to set trends for uniform designs. This set doesn’t do that. It simply follows the minimalist trend that many other teams have been following.

Simple is bold, for once, with Oregon’s new uniforms. (image via Oregon Athletics)

Oregon State

“Retro Benny” has been reinstated as a secondary logo at Oregon State. The Beavers will don the vintage logo on their black helmets on October 20th versus Cal.

Stanford

Subtle changes for the Cardinal this season, as they have changed to the Vapor Untouchable template, added a black outline around the numbers, and added a white facemask to the helmets. Stanford has done great over the last few years slightly tweaking their uniforms but leaving the overall aesthetic the same. I hope they keep the cardinal facemask and just plan to rotate it in with the whites.

Utah

The Utes will be celebrating 125 years of Utah football this season and have a special logo for the occasion. It will be worn as a patch on the jerseys.

Washington

The Huskies announced they will be switching to adidas following this football season. Washington was apparently a hot commodity over the offseason, and adidas won the bidding process by a good bit.

SEC

Arkansas

The Razorbacks have upgraded their uniforms with the change to the Vapor Untouchable. The “tusks” that didn’t really represent solely Arkansas have been removed. The pants stripe now connects to the belt loop and no longer floats. Gone are the matte helmets for the traditional “pearl cardinal” finish. All in all these are upgrades across the board. Arkansas will look their best in a long time this season.

Auburn

Auburn added 3D bumpers to the front of the helmet last year. The plan was to add the rear bumper for this upcoming season, but they went ahead and did so for the bowl game. Both front and rear 3D bumpers will be used for the 2018 season.

Florida
A simple logo change, especially to the Jumpman, can make a world of difference. (image via Florida Athletics)

Florida is one of the two teams this year to join Jordan Brand. As Jordan is just a subset of Nike, not much changes outside of the logos. One potential change looks to be to the alternate white helmets. The Gators have worn these helmets the last few years with the Gators script on one side, and the F logo on the other. Hopefully this image is true and the script will be on both sides.

LSU

LSU is celebrating 125 years of football this season. The Tigers revealed a special logo to commemorate, and the team will wear it as a patch throughout the season. LSU is no stranger to these anniversary patches, as they wore a 150 year logo for the university in 2010 and a 50th anniversary patch honoring the 1958 national championship team in 2008.

Ole Miss

Ole Miss is embracing their “Land shark” moniker to start the season, wearing all white for the first time against Texas Tech. The Rebels/Black Bears/whatevers are planning to sport brand new white helmets and white facemasks. I’m one that thinks Ole Miss should never waiver from their navy and powder blue helmets. This alternate look for the Rebels fails to showcase any of the school’s navy color, and is incredibly lackluster to me. Ole Miss also revealed a new mascot along with a new logo hierarchy, which includes “landshark” style designs.

Mississippi State

The Bulldogs have updated to the Primeknit A1 template from adidas and it has improved an already great look for State. Auburn Uniform Database friend Hail State Unis has much more coverage of the details, and you see side-by-side view of the changes here. I have really enjoyed the throwback look that Mississippi State has worn the last few years, and each tweak seems to improve it. This template, especially with the adidas logo moving from the center chest to the side, does wonders for it.

Missouri

Mizzou looks to have a new white helmet option for 2018. This new design features the round tiger logo. They have previously worn a chrome silver tiger head logo on the white shells.

Tennessee

According to friend of the Auburn Uniform Database Chad Fields, Tennessee will be making minor but impactful changes to their uniforms under first year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The checkerboard striping on the helmet and pants legs that Nike implemented a few years back are expected to be replaced with the traditional solid striping. While this move is more traditional and historic for the Volunteers, the character of the checkerboard stripes will greatly be missed. The divisive Smokey Grey alternate uniforms will also not be worn going forward.

Texas A&M

One of adidas’ premiere teams has upgraded to the newest Primeknit A1 template. The SEC logo has swapped to the left chest with the adidas logo moving to the right side.

Sun Belt

Louisiana-Lafayette

The Ragin’ Cajuns have designated their primary and secondary helmets. The changes come with the 3D bumpers on the front and back, the EmbossTech American flag from Green Gridiron, and a special custom made warning decal in the shape of the state of Louisiana.

Louisiana-Monroe
I love the new ULM logo, hearkening back to a previous design with the old Indians nickname. (image via Louisiana-Monroe Athletics)

UL-Monroe sported throwback uniforms last season to celebrate the anniversary of their 1987 FCS national championship. Those uniforms were apparently a big hit and will now be the primary uniforms. The university underwent a brand refresh last year and created a new logo, which was worn on the helmets last season. That was the basis for making last year’s throwbacks the new primaries.

New Mexico State

The Aggies will reportedly have new white uniforms for the upcoming season. According to Paul Lukas, the home uniforms will go unchanged. Now the two uniforms no longer match.

South Alabama

USA is moving to adidas after being with Nike the last seven years. With the move, South Alabama will be wearing the oldest template still offered by adidas, the Shockweb 1.0. The Jaguars will wear it for only a season due to adidas inventory issues and sake of consistency. The design is rather similar to the Nike uniforms, minus the pant stripes and a slightly different number font. Don’t expect South to continue to mix and match much this year as they did the previous two seasons. New head coach Steve Campbell is reportedly much more traditional in uniform tastes and will keep it more simple.

FCS Teams

Abilene Christian

Slight changes for ACU football as the Wildcats are switching to matte purple helmets from gloss. They will also be paired with grey facemasks rather than black. The white helmets will also see a change, being paired with grey facemasks as well and adding a purple stripe down the center.

Alabama A&M

The Bulldogs from Huntsville have revealed their first Nike uniforms, after wearing Russell Athletic for a long time. The new look is rather simple, with just a loop stripe on the shoulders and stripes on the pants, but it works well. The logo on the collar and pants and the large numbers are a big plus. Having the chestmark and the logo both might be too much, but I kind of like it here.

Alabama State

With Russell Athletic exiting the uniform provider industry, SWAC teams were left to find new manufacturers. Alabama State signed with adidas.

Cal Poly

The Mustangs are celebrating their 100th season of football. The logo will be worn on the jerseys as a patch.

Central Arkansas

After wearing adidas uniforms for many years, Central Arkansas has switched to Nike. The new look features contrasting collars and shoulder caps (black on the purple jerseys, purple on white) with a Baylor-style set of stripes on the pants. The best photo shared so far is actually being modeled by the mascot.

Davidson

New helmets are on tap for Davidson. The new satin red helmets are such a good look. I love the sheen of satin and it looks best on red. These compliment the previous black helmets quite well.

Eastern Illinois

EIU has a new set of grey helmets and pants for 2018. The Panthers had previously worn black.

Elon
Satin is such a great finish for football helmets. (image via Florida A&M Athletics)

The Phoenix have new maroon and white jerseys this year, which basically just removed the side panels from 2017.

Florida A&M

New satin orange helmets on tap for the Rattlers. The return of the striping is a really nice touch.

Georgetown

The Hoyas have added new white helmets to their rotation this season. The bulldog logo is large on one side with the player number on the other.

Grambling

HBCU teams are revealing new uniforms across the country as Russell Athletic, who had conference-wide apparel deals, has dropped out of the uniform game. Grambling has signed with adidas and revealed multiple new uniforms. The base black, gold, and white uniforms look really nice. The red set is where it might get a little divisive. Red has been a longtime tertiary color for the Tigers, as it has been used to represent the “blood of people of African decent.” The all red isn’t a terrible look, but it doesn’t work well when mixed with the other colors.

Hampton

Hampton moves from the MEAC to the Big South Conference this season. The Pirates also signed a full partnership with Under Armour. Under Armour had provided uniforms the last few seasons, but Hampton had a shoe deal with Nike still.

Howard

The Bison are celebrating their 125th season of football. Unlike other teams who have worn a patch, Howard is wearing special decals on the side of the helmet. The look is really different have has a ton of empty space for a helmet, but I really like this unique approach.

Lafayette College

New uniforms for the Leopards, which have been upgraded to a new Nike template. The design is ultimately the same from last year. The helmets received an upgrade also, with chrome decals and 3D bumpers on the front and back.

Maine

One of the best upgrades this season came from the northeast. The Black Bears are sticking with New Balance (a rarity) but dumped the piping for a fantastic set of stripes. The tapered pants stripe is the biggest drawback, but I’m a big fan of these otherwise.

Mississippi Valley State

MVSU has a new helmet design this season, with the VS logo on the side with a flame stripe down the middle. The Devils have previously worn the V-State logo and a script Valley on the helmets.

Montana State

UCLA stripes are a great way to make your uniforms look good. That’s what Montana State did when they upgraded their uniforms this season. Both the white and blue versions look fantastic and much better than the armpit/collarbone stripes.

North Carolina A&T

New uniforms this season for the Aggies feature a heavy dose of anthracite. The two new jerseys and helmets feature very little blue. I imagine these will be used alongside the blue and yellow sets from last season.

Penn

The Quakers have updated their white jerseys to match the navy set worn last year. The previous version, worn on an older template, had single colored numbers and had “Pennsylvania” written across the chest.

Prairie View A&M

No more Russell Athletic uniforms for the Panthers, as they’ve revealed their new adidas uniforms. The purple numbers across the board are nice for consistency, but there’s no way they are legal on the grey and especially the purple tops. Also unfortunately, the yellow helmet has a really rough gradient fade to purple in the back.

South Dakota State

New blue uniforms for the Jackrabbits this season. They moved the stripes from the shoulders to the collarbones to better match the white jerseys.

Southeast Missouri State
Good striping and great colors make for a good uniform. (image via Southern Athletics)

The Redhawks have signed a multi-year deal with Under Armour after previously wearing Nike. They have yet to reveal their new uniforms.

Southern

After years of Russell Athletic uniforms, the Southern Jaguars will wear Under Armour going forward. The collarbone stripe design isn’t anything new, but it looks fantastic in Southern’s light blue and yellow colors.

Southern Illinois

The Saluki football team has new white helmets this season featuring the S logo on the left side and player number on the right. This will be the first white helmet option for SIU since 2011. Southern Illinois won a national championship, five conference titles, and made eight playoff appearances while wearing white helmets.

Texas Southern

With Russell Athletic exiting the uniform business, SWAC teams were left to find new apparel providers. The Tigers signed on with Under Armour and revealed new maroon and white uniforms. Texas Southern also revealed a white helmet that will be worn this season.

Towson

The Towson Tigers have signed a five year deal with Under Armour.

UT-Martin

The Skyhawks have inked a new multi-year deal with Under Armour.

Weber State

Weber State has new black helmet design and pants to match the black jerseys from last year. The Wildcats will debut the all black look on September 15th versus South Dakota. They will also be wearing some interesting throwback jerseys on September 22nd that feature two distinct styles of stripes.

William & Mary

The Tribe has revealed a new branding style complete with new logos. The football helmets will reflect the logo change for the upcoming season.

Wofford

The Terriors have signed a new deal with adidas through the 2024-25 season.

Youngstown State

Small change for the Penguins who have added a stripe to their previously blank white pants.

Division 2 Teams

Bowie State

New Under Armour uniforms with a great shoulder design for Bowie State. Looking at previous Russell Athletic designs, they’re no stranger from having interest shoulder cap uniforms.

Central State

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has signed a league-wide apparel contract with Nike. The Marauders of Central State have showcased their new Nike threads. They previously wore Russell Athletic uniforms.

Colorado School of Mines

New throwback-inspired jerseys for the Orediggers with UCLA stripes along the shoulders.

Millersville

The Marauders will be wearing new Under Armour uniforms this season, complete with a nice set of UCLA stripes on the shoulders and stripes across the front of the pants. Last year’s uniforms saw stripes that went from the collar around the chest to the armpit.

Morehouse

The SIAC conference has agreed to a conference-wide deal with Nike after Russell Athletics exited. The Maroon Tigers revealed two new uniforms to mix and match. Both the black and white jerseys feature maroon collars and shoulder caps. The pants have stripes that bend backwards at the top.

Northern Michigan

Green and yellow make for a great color combination. The Northern Michigan Wildcats have been able to wear it as well as anyone else. And the new throwback-style jerseys are fantastic. The template even makes these feel old-school without all the bells and whistles that Nike likes to throw in.

Northwest Missouri State

The Bearcats have added new Missouri-shaped warning decals to their helmets.

Oklahoma Baptist

The Bison have revealed a new anthracite uniform for this season. The shoulder stripes look a lot better than the previous set.

Quincy

New uniforms for 2018 for the Quincy Hawks that are rather simple. The previous version had contrasting shoulder caps and stripes on the jerseys. The new tops have removed the small stripes on the shoulders and made the chest mark much larger. The white helmet looks to be new, and fades to yellow in the back.

Shaw

Another case of Russell Athletic leaving an opening for new HBCU uniforms. The Shaw Bears have jumped on with Under Armour and went with a really classy simple uniform design. It’s a rather big departure from their look last season.

Shorter

The Hawks from Rome, Georgia, will have a new pearly white helmet this season. Shorter had worn blue helmets in many iterations over the years. They will also be sporting new adidas uniforms this season, in blue, white, and black editions.

Virginia State

Say goodbye to Russell Athletic and hello to Under Armour. The Trojans’ new uniforms sport a large set of stripes on the shoulders and a truncated stripe on the white pants.

West Chester

When your nickname is the Rams, it’s hard not to mimic the shoulder horns of the NFL franchise. That’s what West Chester has done previously. This year, they’ve introduced a new white helmet that more so mimics LSU’s styling.

West Georgia

West Georgia has jumped from Nike to adidas this off season. The new uniforms feature the UWG logo on the shoulder caps and a nice set of stripes on the pants.

West Liberty

It’s not often teams will wear jerseys with entirely different designs. But the Hilltoppers are doing so this season. The yellow jerseys have a great set of shoulder stripes. They’ve actually worn this style before, but have tweaked (downgraded) the template. The new grey tops feature a new striping pattern, going across the chest.

Division 3 Teams

Alfred State (Alfred, NY)
I love the new ox logos from Alfred State. I wish they would have mirrored the decals for the right side of the helmets though. (image via Alfred State Athletics)

The Pioneers have revealed a new brand in July, complete with brand new logo sets. The ox logo is fantastic! That change is reflected with the new helmets featuring the ox head. New Under Armour uniforms are on tap as well, with the ox head on the back as well. There’s even a new ox mascot for Alfred State.

Alvernia (Reading, PA)

The Alvernia Golden Wolves are playing in their inaugural season of football. The Wolves will be have white jerseys and maroon pants, as well as an all grey set. Interesting that the grey uniform looks to be their designated color set. I would imagine they would have a maroon set as well, if not in the near future.

Anna Maria College (Paxton, MA)

New white helmets on tap for the Amcats. The A logo will be placed on both sides. They have previously worn red helmets with player numbers and grey shells with a paw print decal.

Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN)

The Auggies (great nickname) have switched from Nike to adidas for 2018. The new look will be a lot simpler, with only the maroon uniforms having shoulder stripes.

Bethel (McKenzie, TN)

The Wildcats have a new look this season. The new Nike uniforms feature white helmets with player numbers, purple and white jerseys with a nice set of stripes, and white and yellow pants.

Christopher Newport (Newport News, VA)

New Under Armour uniforms with a great shoulder cap design are on tap for the Captains this year. They wore Russell Athletic uniforms last season.

Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)

The Red Devils have seemingly tweaked their white helmet, going from a red-outlined pitchfork to a red logo outlined in black.

Endicott (Beverly, MA)
Eagle wings, nice color scheme, and the beach. Perfection. (image via Endicott Athletics)

The Gulls will be wearing a new white helmet this season with a nicely colored version of the Philadelphia Eagles wing decals this season. They’ve worn blue shells in the past.

Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden Sydney, VA)

New black uniforms are on tap for the Tigers this season. The numbers seem to have a sublimated pattern similar to the shoulder caps on their garnet set.

MacMurray College (Jacksonville, IL)

The Fighting Highlanders have teased their new white Under Armour uniforms, but haven’t actually shown off the entire look just yet. I like the red tops that were worn last year. The white jerseys needed an upgrade, but I don’t believe they are going to match the reds.

Marietta College (Marietta, OH)

The Pioneers have a new turf field design this year, featuring grey and dark grey field lines and navy endzones.

McMurry University (Abilene, Texas)

The War Hawks are moving on from Russell Athletic as they have now signed with adidas. They’re new threads look to be a very simple approach, with some shoulder design (maybe wings?). Unfortunately there was only a single photo available at the time of publishing.

Moravian College (Bethlehem, PA)

The Grey Hounds will be wearing new white helmets with chrome blue decals this season. They previously wore matte grey lids.

University of New England (Biddeford, ME)

2018 marks the first season of varsity football for the New England Nor’Easters. They will be playing on a new turf field that is a very rich shade of blue.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Belton, TX)

The UMHB Crusaders have new all-gold uniforms. The striping has changed a bit with the template upgrade.

Waynesburg University (Waynesburg, PA)

The Yellow Jackets have debuted a new orange jersey for 2018 as well as a new helmet design, which is the “first major helmet overhaul in over a decade.” The new helmets look to be matte grey with orange stripes and features the Yellow Jacket logo on the sides. Waynesburg previously wore white helmets with orange W logos.

Another year and another large group of teams across the country making some sort of change. This year consisted more of tweaks and template changes, but for the most part, I think they were all for the better.

While the pendulum continue to swings away from the crazy, over-the-top designs back to simple and classic looks, it will be interesting to watch how the rest of the year – and the coming years – play out. The college football season is a long one, and there are plenty of opportunities for teams to break out alternates not mentioned here. Those could always push the envelope a bit more once again. They’ll be bound to create a conversation, as always.

Thanks as always to all the teams and equipment managers for sharing the images of their respective new uniforms. And for Uni-Watch and Sportslogos.net forums for helping showcase all the new details.

The Auburn Uniform Database is celebrating five years in 2018! Take time to check out the brand new website and consider purchasing an anniversary t-shirt. Do you enjoy uniforms and want to see more like this? Be sure to follow the Auburn Uniform Database, like the AUD Facebook page, Instagram page, and follow me on Twitter for even more uniform news. You can also purchase your favorite team’s merchandise through Fanatics, with a portion of your sale going to support this website.