The Loop
The 10 best new college football uniforms for 2017
When you throw a bunch of 18-year-old testosterone bombs in a room and ask them what they’d like to wear while running headfirst into other humans everyday for the remainder of the fall, chances are you’re going to get some not-so-subtle feedback. Recent college football uniforms have reflected this, spiraling into Joker-approved swaths of purple camouflage and Mack-truck-grille facemasks. This year, however, there has been something of a course correction, with an emphasis placed on clean, classic looks that could—much like Oregon and TCU’s splashy unis did a decade ago—usher in a whole new aesthetic era for college football. Here are 10 of the coolest we’ve seen so far.
THE HOLD OUTS
Ok, so all-caps LOUD isn’t entirely dead. From Texas A&M’s crimson & black drips to Arizona’s NINE matching combos and Oregon State's gonzo gun metal kit, these programs are sticking to big and bold for at least another season.
Texas A&M
Arizona
Boise State
Oregon State
THE SQUEAKY CLEANS
While Western Kentucky’s detergent-commercial all-whites are clearly the “clean look” pacesetters, Washington State and North Carolina aren’t far behind. The former boasts a muted version of Oregon State’s anthracite retina-melter while the latter—Jordan brand’s first-ever football uniform—features classy touches of argyle on both the collar and helmet.
Western Kentucky
Washington State
University of North Carolina
THE CLASSICS
Finally, as a close cousin to those streamlined setups, are 2017’s glut of classic throwbacks, which—in case you want to feel REALLY old—now include Nebraska’s iconic 1997 mesh looks. Also of note are Penn State’s first retro alternates in what feels like forever and Miami’s new/old green/black beauties.
Nebraska
Penn State
University of Miami