The first wave of college football uniform changes is upon us and several programs will don new jersey designs for the 2024 season. At least three schools have released new uniform sets, with more helmets and concepts coming soon.
In general, uniforms are sticking to a clean design. The era of wild and wacky jerseys appears to be over after the 2010s. That said, there is more detailing and even traditional throwback components than the last iteration of minimalism. Several programs are adding small striping to their shoulders to break up monotony, but still feature a base canvas.
Auburn (Nike) and Texas Tech (Adidas) inked deals with new apparel companies in July, which mandates a redesign. All the new looks should be out in time for media days in July. But for now, here are a few of the new looks to keep an eye on in 2024.
Baylor
The Bears made minor tweaks to their existing set. Primarily, the school added subtle strips on the shoulders. Previously, Baylor’s jerseys were a block of color, but the stripe especially breaks up what were previously garish yellow jerseys. The stripe also makes the jerseys just a little more flexible to mix and match.
However, the headliner came on Thursday with the release of “anthracite” black jerseys. The black threads are a nod to highly popular jerseys worn during back-to-back Big 12 championships in 2013-14, and feature small bear paws on the shoulder, similar to ones on the old threads. Players from the two title teams will be honored during the 2024 season for the 10-year anniversary.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies have not officially released new uniforms as yet, but a few details are confirmed. Most notably, VT is removing the stripes on the shoulders and bringing back a cleaner design reminiscent of Michael Vick’s look. The Hokies wore a similar throwback jersey in 2021, and there’s a chance it could provide a model.
West Virginia
The Mountaineers updated their base set of uniforms in April with a combination of new-age and traditional aspects. The “flying WV” logo is back on the sleeves after a 10-year hiatus, hearkening back to the Don Nehlen era. The uniform is reinstating shoulder stripes and adding stripes to pants.
WVU outdid itself with a set of “Coal Rush Black” uniforms released in May with influence from actual West Virginian coal miners. While the style of the jersey remains similar, gray numbering on a pitch-black jersey stands apart. The shoulders and a stripe on the helmet feature a coal-inspired pattern. Black uniforms are slowly coming back to college football, but West Virginia’s is the early standard.
Illinois
The Fighting Illini enter will play their 100th season at Memorial Stadium in 2024. They are celebrating with throwback helmets from across history. The helmets in question were worn by Illinois at different periods from 1962 to 2012.
The first features four stars and was worn during the Dick Butkus era, including during a 1964 Rose Bowl victory. An arched Illini helmet was worn for the majority of the 1970s and ’80s. Through 2012, Illinois wore an underlined “Illinois” on an orange background and won two Big Ten championships. The throwback helmet schedule will be released soon.
Iowa State
The Cyclones also debuted a new set of jerseys, adding three colors to the mix: red, white and black. The new jerseys added a series of stripes to all three kits — some combination of red, yellow, white and black. Additionally, “Iowa State” is now printed on all the jerseys after a brief hiatus.
More to watch
- Colorado: The Buffs have some of the most underrated uniforms in college football, but will get a new look during the 2024 season after all the attention in the first year of the Deion Sanders era. No plans have been leaked at this point, but the school’s Twitter hinted at a change in January.
- Texas Tech: The Red Raiders ended their partnership with Under Armour and are headed to Adidas. The decision reunites Texas Tech with Patrick Mahomes, who is a signature athlete with Adidas. The brand has started releasing Mahomes brand apparel — could it factor into the uniforms a la Jordan Brand at North Carolina?
- Oregon: The Ducks roll out new looks almost every week, but Oregon is heading into next season with a “Generation O” total rebrand. Some of the looks mentioned have included both futuristic uniforms and throwback jerseys at different times. Nike megadonor Phil Knight always comes through for the Ducks.
- Conference realignment will bring a number of new jerseys with different jersey patches, chief among them SEC logos at Oklahoma and Texas, and Big Ten logos on USC and Oregon kits.
