If I ruled the college helmet design world

[Cujo]

I hate Alabama with all of my being, but their helmets and uniforms are untouchably classic. I hope they never change.

Didn't Bama once have white facemasks?

[Redlands, CA]

I like your suggestions. I couldn't agree more with San Diego State and Illinois.

It seems to me that both schools don't know what to do with those uniforms, helmets, and colors.

SDSU: Airbushing must go. I would use black helmet with a spear.

Illinois:

A lot of these logos/helmets would work http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/index.htm

[FiddySicks]

SDSU: Airbushing must go. I would use black helmet with a spear.

Youve really gotta see a SDSU helmet up close to really see how awesome it is. One of my football coaches graduated from SDSU and he brought out his helmet a few times during the year and it really is awesome looking

[Cujo]

SDSU: Airbushing must go. I would use black helmet with a spear.

Youve really gotta see a SDSU helmet up close to really see how awesome it is. One of my football coaches graduated from SDSU and he brought out his helmet a few times during the year and it really is awesome looking

I hated the SDSU helmet when it was first introduced, but it's grown on me, especially since the went from the old "aztecs" logo on the helmet to the new "A-Spear" logo. I gotta say it's one of the best in college football now.

[BRice16]

I hate Alabama with all of my being, but their helmets and uniforms are untouchably classic. I hope they never change.

Didn't Bama once have white facemasks?

No.

[andrewharrington]

You say, tradition is tradition about Penn State, yet you want to put a trendy logo on the BC helmet? I know it's a good logo, but it has no place on the BC helmet; no logo does. Your story has too many inconsistencies.

[andrewharrington]

Indiana University is the only state school (except SUNYs and Rutgers) that puts the state name ahead of the "University" in its official name

What about Ohio University?

West Virginia University also.

And winghaz, you probably think Ohio University should use the BOBCAT logo, since they do not have a wildcat logo.

[Michigan Dave]

Here is the best helmet in college football:

[Cujo]

Big Ten keepers

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State (even though I'd like the Nittany Lions logo in there, but tradition is tradition), Wisconsin

Michigan is another helmet I would change up. I'd ditch the crazy stripe thing they have going on (i'm sure Michigan Dave could tell us what they call that), and go with a navy helmet with a big yellow M with a white outline on it and a single yellow stripe going down the middle.

[Michigan Dave]

Big Ten keepers

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State (even though I'd like the Nittany Lions logo in there, but tradition is tradition), Wisconsin

Michigan is another helmet I would change up. I'd ditch the crazy stripe thing they have going on (i'm sure Michigan Dave could tell us what they call that), and go with a navy helmet with a big yellow M with a white outline on it and a single yellow stripe going down the middle.

If you did that, you'd be strung up by 111,000 fans! The winged helmet is the most recognizable helmet in football. Recruits love it, it's unique (though Crisler first used it at Princeton, and Delaware adopted it as well), and since we don't really emphasize a "Wolverine" as a logo, other sports have taken to using the winged helmet design, too:

Hockey:

Lacrosse:

Heck, even Women's Crew:

Also, here's the full story on the helmet:

Michigan's football helmet is surely one of the most instantly recognizable icons in college sports. The famous "winged" design dates from 1938 when Coach Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler arrived from Princeton to begin a new era in Michigan football. Even as the design and composition of helmets evolved from stitched cowhide to high-tech, molded plastic, the winged design has remained the pre-eminent symbol of Michigan football. Other Michigan athletic teams have adopted the winged design for their own headgear as well.

After winning national titles in 1932 and 1933, Michigan had gone four years without a winning season and team morale had suffered accordingly. Coach Harry Kipke left a core of veterans and some very promising sophomores, but one of Crisler's first tasks was to instill a new attitude in the team. Known as a wily tactician and motivator, Crisler introduced the new helmet and changes in the Wolverine's uniform to mark the beginning of a new era. As 1938 captain Fred Jahnke recalled in 1987, "Just before the opener, the old black helmets were replaced with a wing type of today's style; form fitting wool pants allowed freer movement and the old "M" jersey became the tear away kind." In Crisler's recollection, "Michigan had a plain black helmet and we wanted to dress it up a bit."

The distinctive helmet would also have practical advantages on the field. Crisler figured the helmet would help his quarterbacks find receivers downfield. "There was a tendency to use different colored helmets just for receivers in those days, but I always thought that would be as helpful for the defense as for the offense," Crisler recalled.

In any event, the new helmet made a successful debut in the 1938 season opener against Michigan State. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 14-0 behind two touchdown runs by sophomore Paul Kromer to gain their first win over Michigan State in four years. Whether the helmet helped the passing game is hard to say, Michigan completed four of eight attempts for 46 yards with no interceptions. The game certainly marked a change in Michigan's football fortunes. The Michigan Alumnus commented, "Michigan has a fighting gridiron outfit once more; a team that knows how to do things and a burning desire-and considerable ability-to do what it wants." Oddly, none of the newspaper accounts of the game make mention of the new helmet.

Some accounts of the actual design of the new helmet have sometimes suggested Crisler came up with the idea out of whole cloth. In fact, the previous year Crisler had introduced a helmet at Princeton that should look remarkably familiar to Wolverine fans. The winged design simply took advantage of features of a helmet the Spalding sporting goods company first advertised in the 1937 edition the Official Intercollegiate Football Guide. Crisler's 1938 innovation at Michigan was to paint the helmet maize and blue. His predecessor, Harry Kipke, had also experimented with special markings on the helmets in 1937. Fortunately, though, his designs did not catch-on.

Crisler's 1937 design for the Princeton helmet graced the cover of Spalding's Official Football Guide for 1938. The photo depicts action from Princeton's game against the University of Chicago, Crisler's alma mater.

The A.G. Spalding & Bros. Company, the nation's largest supplier of football equipment, first advertised its model FH5 helmet in the 1937 Official Intercollegiate Football Guide. The helmet is described as "National federation H.S.A.A. approved. A streamlined helmet of tan and black leather. Air-Lite cushion rubber padded and leather lined. Six point suspension straps in crown. Ventilating holes in crown, back and ear pieces. Slide chin strap. Each, $10.00."

Spalding marketed a number of helmet models that featured the "wing" design. The wing provided additional protective padding and helped bind the earpieces to the crown. The FH5 model was the only one featuring three straps running from front-to-back. One model featured a single strap running front-to-back and another running side-to-side. Other models had a one-piece crown. Michigan's FH5 model came only in black and tan while those with a one-piece crown could be ordered n any school colors for an additional fee.

Michigan State had adopted its version of a "winged helmet" several years earlier. Tom Harmon, shown here in the 1939 game, breaks away from several Spartans wearing a different model of Spalding's wing design. The Spartans wore several models of the Spalding winged helmet until 1948 when they joined the Big Ten and adopted a different style helmet.

The leather helmet eventually gave way to synthetic materials, single face bars were added that have since grown into elaborate cages, the simple slide chin strap was replaced with precisely fitted, double snap straps. Advances in design and engineering, some based on research done at Michigan, have greatly increased the protective capabilities of the modern helmet. Through all the changes Michigan has preserved the design Crisler imported from Princeton to "dress up" and add a bit of style to Michigan's look.

While other schools changed their look when they switched from the leather helmet, Michigan simply painted the wings and stripes on the new material. There have been a few minor changes to the design over the years. The shape of the wing has been smoothed out a bit, the stripes now extend all the way to the base of the helmet and player numbers were added to the side of the helmet during the years 1959-1968.

A design originally based on functional and structural parts of the helmet is now purely decorative. Or maybe it has taken on a new function as symbol of and link to Michigan's great athletic tradition. Hockey coach Red Berenson had toyed with the idea of incorporating the winged design into the Michigan hockey helmets for a number of years. When he distributed winged maize and blue helmets on the eve of a crucial game, it had an electrifying effect on his team. The catcher for the women's softball team proudly wears the winged design on her helmet. Even the swimming team wore the familiar image on its racing caps for a few years.

If Fritz Crisler were to return to Michigan Stadium, Yost Arena, or Alumni Field, he would immediately recognize his handiwork.

[Gary]

Big Ten keepers

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State (even though I'd like the Nittany Lions logo in there, but tradition is tradition), Wisconsin

Michigan is another helmet I would change up. I'd ditch the crazy stripe thing they have going on (i'm sure Michigan Dave could tell us what they call that), and go with a navy helmet with a big yellow M with a white outline on it and a single yellow stripe going down the middle.

If you did that, you'd be strung up by 111,000 fans! The winged helmet is the most recognizable helmet in football.

Dave don't forget me as well. Just thinking about changing it is sacrilige

[Michigan Dave]

Big Ten keepers

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State (even though I'd like the Nittany Lions logo in there, but tradition is tradition), Wisconsin

Michigan is another helmet I would change up. I'd ditch the crazy stripe thing they have going on (i'm sure Michigan Dave could tell us what they call that), and go with a navy helmet with a big yellow M with a white outline on it and a single yellow stripe going down the middle.

If you did that, you'd be strung up by 111,000 fans! The winged helmet is the most recognizable helmet in football.

Dave don't forget me as well. Just thinking about changing it is sacrilige

Bo mentioned at his initial press conference back in 1969 changing the helmet. He was almost run out of town, he says.

[winghaz]

I guess I need to explain some of my beliefs on the helmets:

Nebraska's N may be traditional, but it's as boring as the drive between Fargo, N.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D. And boring isn't always good. You may note that I wish I could change the Penn State helmet, as well, but wouldn't. For the Nebraska helmet, all I ask for is serifs on the N. That's not that drastic a change.

Alabama: Bama fans think those are the prettiest helmets in the world. If Bama had the football tradition of, say, Vanderbilt, those helmets would have changed a long time ago. The Crimson Tide helmets are ugly, Bama fans, and a winning tradition doesn't make them pretty. (And by the way, I absolutely hate numbers on helmets.)

Michigan: This is where tradition takes over. Heck, the Michigan hockey team even uses the football helmet stripes.

And now, my picks for the best helmets by conference:

ACC: Florida State

Big East: West Virginia

Big Ten: Iowa

Big 12: Texas without the numbers. If Texas keeps the numbers, then Texas A&M

CUSA: Southern Methodist

Mid-American: Akron

Mountain West: Air Force

Pac 10: Arizona State

SEC: Arkansas

Sun Belt: Troy

WAC: Louisiana Tech

Independents: Temple

[Gary]

Big Ten keepers

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State (even though I'd like the Nittany Lions logo in there, but tradition is tradition), Wisconsin

Michigan is another helmet I would change up. I'd ditch the crazy stripe thing they have going on (i'm sure Michigan Dave could tell us what they call that), and go with a navy helmet with a big yellow M with a white outline on it and a single yellow stripe going down the middle.

If you did that, you'd be strung up by 111,000 fans! The winged helmet is the most recognizable helmet in football.

Dave don't forget me as well. Just thinking about changing it is sacrilige

Bo mentioned at his initial press conference back in 1969 changing the helmet. He was almost run out of town, he says.

i've heard that story from my mom, and she said that if he did that he wouldn't survive another minute in ann arbor

[rmackman]

Dude you don't mess with the Gators helmet. Putting the Gator logo on it would look really hokey. They have the logo on the shoulder of their jersey so that's enough! Besides...as you have said before...don't mess with tradition!

Go Gators!

[Cujo]

Besides...as you have said before...don't mess with tradition!

Don't mess with tradition?? In every picture you just showed, they've got on a different uniform set. Orange jerseys one year, blue pants the next. Come on man!

[edensker]

Alabama: This may be sacrelige, but I'd rather see an all crimson helmet with the elephant logo

NEVER HAPPEN. If by some wierd chance it did,the AD would be run out of town. Best looking helmet in the college football nation.

Simpsontide is absolutely correct. The 'Bama helmet is perfect.

[edensker]

Nebraska's N may be traditional, but it's as boring as the drive between Fargo, N.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D. And boring isn't always good.

Big 12: Texas without the numbers. If Texas keeps the numbers, then Texas A&M

When it comes to teams whose helmets have gone unchanged for 35 or 40 years, boring is good.

As for the Big 12, Texas' helmet is good, but A&M's is terrible. The aTm on the helmet is way too big. Aside from Texas, the tops in the conference are Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado.

[rmackman]

Besides...as you have said before...don't mess with tradition!

Don't mess with tradition?? In every picture you just showed, they've got on a different uniform set. Orange jerseys one year, blue pants the next. Come on man!

I meant just for the helmets. I think what Florida has for uniform sets right now is the best they've ever had.

[cranium]

Did Rutgers ever have a logo on their helmet? Their white R looks like a high school team.