Some people have several. Some people have many. The Oregon Duck seems to have come up with a new one every week.
Of course, the theme is alternative uniforms. The best of the best has become a beloved staple for college football fans’ fall calendars. But, like many, has been downgraded to a historic bin (or at least one campus locker). A conceited minority rises to a higher level: the cult classic.
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With the 2025 college football season approaching, we decided to browse the extensive catalogue of alternative unified products in the sport since 2000 and parse it all to identify some of the most memorable things – for better or worse.
We divide the top-level list into many categories – three broad, three specific to multiple nominations and six exclusive awards. Some of these categories reward aesthetic beauty. I prefer simple fanaticism.
This is the best, worst and craziest alternative uniform in the last 25 years.
Best performance
In the Nominations for Our Best Nominations, we cover a wide variety of topics. From different colors to well-executed return, our five draft picks offer a variety of different ways to make alternatives to unified pop music.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Retro and Rainbow, 2015
Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire by Getty Images
Florida International Black Panther: Miami Vice Chairman, 2024
Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire by Getty Images
Houston Cougar: Sacrifice to the Oilers, 2023
Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Florida Crocodile: 2019’s Simple Backward Perfect
James Gilbert/Getty Images
SMU Mustang: Repping Dallas, 2019
Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The most ambitious
It's always inspiring when the team is willing to try something new – creativity and boldness are two traits that help make college football fun. That is, not every alternative unified idea that is out of the box is equal. We don't necessarily say these uniforms are terrible, but they are certainly…aggressive.
Florida Crocodile: Gator-Print, 2017
David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Spartans, Michigan: Neon Green, 2019
Adam Ruff / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Colorado Buffalo: It's too easy to go backwards, 2009
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Notre Dame Fighting Ireland: Yankees Stadium Crossover, 2018
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Miami Hurricane: Orange Sleeves, 2005
Bob Rosato/Sports Pictures By Getty Images
The craziest helmet
A great or poor helmet can make uniforms or destroy uniforms, so we have created a separate category for some of the most famous lids. Regardless of how it is performed, reward points are unique.
Western Kentucky Hilltop: Big Red Front and Center, 2024
Savannah Philpot/WKU Track and Field
Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket: Honeycomb Theme, 2012
Geoff Burke/Getty Images
Utah, Utah: Rose Bowl Special Offer, 2022
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Georgia Bulldog: Georgia's Gray Trial, 2011
Kevin Cox/Getty Images
Virginia Tech Hokies: Flexing Hokiebird, 2012
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
Most “national frameworks”
A key element of college football represents the home or hometown of the school. These three schools go beyond achieving this task by incorporating their flag into their alternative uniforms as far as they can. The aesthetic results have changed.
Terrapins, Maryland, 2011
Rob Carr/Getty Images
Colorado Rams, 2017
Colorado Track and Field/csurams.com
Texas Tech University Red Raider, 2014
Jerod Foster/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire by Getty Images
Best from the final border
Is it unlikely that quality alternative jersey sources in recent years? outer space. In fact, space-themed uniforms produce enough impressive alternatives that we think are worthy of our own category. This is the best person to draw inspiration from the stars.
UCF Knight: Space U, 2023
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Purdue Boiler Manufacturer: Memorial School Astronauts, 2019
G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images
Air Force Falcon: Representative Space Force, 2022
Air Force Track and Field/goairforcefalcons.com
The best tribute
Context is also important to uniforms. Almost all alternative uniforms represent or respect something, but some threads have particular motivations. These two alternatives have established themselves as a particular distinction in the context category.
Boston College Eagles: Red Turban Series
The Eagles wore a red turban-patterned uniform and an annual “Wells” nameplate since 2014. The uniform pays tribute to Boston College alum Welles Crowther, who saved a rescuer in the September 11 attack while wearing a red turban.
John Tlumacki/by Getty Images The Boston Globe
UAB blazer: Children's Hong Kong series
Since 2016, UAB has been part of the partnership with Children's Harbour, a special jersey, a seriously ill children's service center and its family in Birmingham, Alabama. The Trail Blazers’ Children’s Harbor jersey replaces the player’s name with the patient’s name on the back.
Kamp Fender/uabsports.com
The worst trend you'll never catch up
Block letter jersey
In the pantheon that replaces unified history, very brief but unfortunately, the design mutation in the early 2010s was the design of jerseys with block letter logos on the front and center. Among the various traps, alternative uniforms may hit and these traps run away.
Change the aesthetics of team jerseys with classic traditional threads? Check. Clumsy design without taking root in the history or tradition of the school? Check. Create a weird on-screen viewing experience? Check. Happily, these have never been caught outside of a few Big Ten one-off games.
Eric Francis/Getty Images
Lifetime Achievement Award
Oregon
There is no doubt that the Duck has a more unified mix in one season than some shows in the decade. Instead of actually trying to choose which categories to insert them into, as they've made enough memorable combinations to participate in almost all options, we just gave the Ducks a lifetime achievement award and showed off their range of short palettes here.
Steve Dykes/Getty Imagessteve Dykes/Getty Imagesalika Jenner/Getty Images
Best Alternative Unified Reveal Series
Notre Dame Cathedral
Despite a lot of great alternative unification reveals, no one in the game promises the same way Notre Dame is. The battle with the Irish began in 2022, imitating the “Hangover” to reveal their uniforms in the Clover series of the year that was held in Las Vegas. Since then, they have built the film parody alley as their niche, setting up Jerry Maguire in 2023 and Wall Street Wolf in 2024.
Some people can handle Las Vegas
Feel. October 8 pic.twitter.com/hdzdaoacds
– Notre Dame Soccer (@ndfootball) July 27, 2022
Best consistent annual alternative unification duel
Army – Navi Games
Admittedly, there are no large number of matches every year that produce alternative unified matches. Or anything, for that matter. But if there were no details of their competition game yearly on the Army and Navy's respective uniforms in recent years, it was simply not an alternative story of unity. So, like Oregon, we created a specific category to highlight some of the best military alternatives to unified showdowns.
Daniel Kucin Jr. / Icon Sportswire / Corbis / Corbis / Icon Sportswire by Getty Images Jonathan Newton / Washington Post by Getty Impressroger Wimmer / ISI Photos / Getty Images
Science and Technology Solidarity Award
Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech University, 2007
The feeling of ending this piece with a “replacement” uniform is correct, and while not intentional, it is certainly memorable. On November 1, 2007, Virginia Tech held a routine road race with Georgia Tech. There is only one problem – some Hokies' jerseys are missing. As a result, four Virginia Tech players had to play with the only extra uniform on hand: a yellow jacket road jersey with a new name scattered on the back, while “Georgia Tech” painted black on the front.
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