Over the last few months, I have spent much of my free time researching older Auburn uniforms. Through this work, Auburn football uniforms through the 1930s were added to the Auburn Uniform Database. Eighty-five years worth of uniforms tends to lead to many interesting finds. I wanted to go through each season and dive in to all the minor details that may not show up well on the mockups.

The next few weeks will consist of a decade-by-decade look at Auburn football uniforms. Auburn basketball uniforms are currently being worked on, and I hope to give them the same treatment afterwards.

My ultimate goal when researching the football uniforms was to have as many seasons completed as possible. Unfortunately, photos become incredibly difficult to find and decipher come the 1932 season. As nice as it would have been to have a clean decade to begin with, this first installment of this series will have a fewer seasons.

1933

The first season detailed here will turn out to be one of the more simpler years. Orange and blue sweaters were worn as jerseys with tan pants, which were often common during this era. Each jersey has contrasting numbers. The leather helmets feature a “pinwheel” design – a blue base with orange painted panels. White belts were worn, which clashed with the tan pants.

1934

As the calendar crossed over to 1934, Auburn made a few changes to their wardrobe. While I have only confirmed uniforms worn for six of the ten games, I believe Auburn wore white jerseys all season long. The white sweaters feature blue numbers and three blue stripes on the sleeves. The helmets no longer feature orange pinwheel stripes and blue pants replace the tan ones from the previous season.

1935

Auburn continued to sport the blue leather helmets and pants, but the Tigers wore new orange and blue jerseys. Each featured contrasting numbers, much like the 1933 jerseys, but now feature three stripes like the 1934 white tops. Photographs are still lacking for one game, but it looks as though Auburn didn’t wear white this season.

1936

White tops return in 1936, seemingly replacing the blue jerseys. I haven’t found good photographs for four games this season, though. The white jerseys match the design of the orange and now-missing blue tops, with blue numbers and sleeve stripes. Auburn sported the orange tops in the school’s first bowl game, the first game played between two American teams in foreign land, in the 1937 Bacardi Bowl in Cuba. Auburn and Villanova played to a 7-7 tie in Havana.

1937

Auburn recycled the uniform design from the previous season: blue leather helmets, blue pants, orange and white jerseys with sleeve stripes. White jerseys were worn for Auburn’s 6-0 Orange Bowl victory over Michigan State.

1938

Auburn wore green jerseys against Tennessee in 1938 (image via 1939 Resolver, University of Tennessee yearbook)

This is when things get wild. Yes, Auburn wore green jerseys. It actually happened.

Head coach Jack Meagher played and coached at Notre Dame under legendary coach Knute Rockne. Notre Dame alums, especially at this time, were revered as the best of the best and were highly coveted as head coaches. The brotherhood of ND coaches kept in touch, in fact, to the point of facing off against each other often. Auburn played many cross-country games, traveling as far as California, to face such teams. In an attempt to show just how much Meagher loved his alma mater, he outfitted his Tigers in green uniforms. The War Eagle Reader has a fantastic telling of the story and a few newspaper clippings from the era.

The 1938 football uniforms featured much of the same items from previous season – blue leather helmet, blue pants, orange jersey with blue stripes and numbers. The green jerseys with orange numbe

rs and stripes were added and worn for, as far as I’ve been able to find, seven of the ten games.

1939

The final season of the 1930s was also the final year of the green jerseys. Oddly enough, per the photographs I have been able to find, the orange stripes were removed from the green tops. Auburn dialed back the Notre Dame-inspired jerseys, wearing them only five times on the year. The players reportedly didn’t like the green. I believe that was a major factor in Auburn retiring the jerseys.

Helmets were required starting in 1939, so every player on the field would sport headwear for the first time. Previously, it was up to the players to determine if they wear anything or not.

The 1930s certainly weren’t the best for Auburn football, as the Tigers went 32-24-7 over the seven years detailed here. Jack Meagher came to town and brought Auburn their first bowl appearance and victory, along with green jerseys.

Check back next week as we move on the 1940s, where we see even more changes to Auburn’s uniforms.

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