DUKE	GEORGIA TECH	MIAMI
"Blue Devils"	"Yellow Jackets"	"Hurricanes"
Durham, NC	Atlanta, GA	Coral Gables, FL

NORTH CAROLINA	VIRGINIA	VIRGINIA TECH
"Tar Heels"	"Cavaliers"	"Hokies"
Chapel Hill, NC	Charlottesville, VA	Blacksburg, VA

Comments

Through October 27 at least eight ACC teams have used more than one helmet design in 2012. The designs shown above for Maryland and Virginia are among the many new ones.

Historical Helmets

BOSTON COLLEGE

c.1970s	c.1980s - 1990; November 6, 2004	1991 -
	*see note 1 below

October 27, 2012	2011 (away games) -
	*see note 2 below

Boston College has apparently never used any sort of logo on the sides of its helmets (at least not since the year 1960), and the helmet designs shown above are the only variations of which I am aware. One or two people have claimed that a "flying eagle" logo was used briefly during the 1960s but no supporting evidence has been received. Gray facemasks were used at least into the 1980 season, but I do not know specifically when the switch to maroon ones was made (this bit of information would be appreciated).

*1 This design was brought back for the November 6, 2004 home game against Rutgers as part of a plan to "wear 'throwback' uniforms dating back to the 1984 season...in recognition of the 20-year anniversary of [the] Cotton Bowl championship team".

*2 First worn September 10, 2011 (at Central Florida). While I have not attempted to represent it here the new helmet design features what was called a "stained glass" pattern within the white helmet stripe (photo below).

CLEMSON

c.1960	c.1962 - 1964	1965

1966	1967 - 1968	1969

1970 - ?	? - c.mid 1970s	1976

October 7, 1995; September 7, 1996	1977 -
*see note 1 below

In 1970, a "paw print" logo apparently was used on Clemson's football helmets for the first time; the original version was somewhat different in shape than the one presently used, and also considerably larger. A "paw print" logo of the same shape as is presently used was introduced by at least 1974, but it was also much larger during its first year or two of use. I have received relatively few photographs from the period 1970-1976 and it is unclear whether stripes were always worn on the helmet during these years (they were present during at least some years).

*1 This special design was used for two games, October 7, 1995 vs Georgia, and September 7, 1996 vs Furman, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of intercollegiate football at Clemson. The design was intended to resemble those used by the school's first bowl team, the 1939 team which defeated Boston College in the Cotton Bowl.

DUKE

1958 - 1964	1966 - 1969	1969
	*see note 1 below	*see note 1 below

1965; 1970	1971 - 1977	c.1974 - c.1976
*see note 2 below		*see note 3 below

1978	1979 - 1980	1981 - 1984

1985 - 1993	1994 - 2003	November 10, 2007
		*see note 4 below

		'B'
2004 - 2007	2008 - November 7, 2009	2012 -
		*see note 5 below

'C'	'D'	'A'
2012 -	October 20, 2012	November 14, 2009 -
*see note 6 below	*see note 7 below	*see note 8 below

During the 2012 season Duke has used the following sequence of helmet designs (through five games): A-B-C; A-B.

The above are, to the best of my knowledge, all of the different helmet designs used by Duke during the period covered by this web site (1960 to present) with the exception of the 1969 helmet (see note 1 below).

*1 During 1969, the devil head logo was worn on only the right sides of the helmets; on the left side was a version of the "100" logo that many teams used that year. I have no color photographs of Duke's version of the "100" yet, but it appears to be of a dark color with light-colored numerals in the monochrome pictures that I have seen; probably white on blue.

*2 Represented here is the 1965 helmet; the 1970 helmet may have had a very slightly different style of numerals.

*3 The logo on this helmet appears to have been used occasionally during at least the 1974 and 1976 seasons; the plain silver helmet was used for other games through at least 1976.

*4 The decals were removed from Duke's helmets for a home game against Georgia Tech in 2007 in recognition of the 1938 Duke team, which finished its regular season "unbeaten, untied and unscored upon".

*5 First worn September 8, 2012 (at Stanford).

*6 First worn September 15, 2012 (vs North Carolina Central).

*7 Worn during the 2012 home game vs North Carolina.

*8 In 2009 a mid-season switch to a much wider blue stripe was made for the home game against Georgia Tech.

FLORIDA STATE

1960? - 1962 (1st two games); 1963; 1964 (some games)	1962	1962
*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below	*see note 2 below

1962	1964	1965
*see note 2 below	*see note 3 below

1966 - 1968	December 30, 1968	September 20, 1969; September 28, 1969
	*see note 4 below

1969 (last eight games)	1970	1971 - 1974

1975 (first two games)	September 27, 1975	1975 (last eight games)
*see note 5 below	*see note 6 below	*see note 7 below

November 21, 2009	1976 -
*see note 8 below

Most of the following information as to the dates of use of these various FSU helmets is summarized from information found at the "Helmet Hut" web site (www.helmethut.com).

The one "missing" helmet design is the one used by FSU during its first two games in 1969 (vs Wichita State and vs Miami (FL)); during these two games, FSU used gold helmets with a version of the "100" logo that many teams used that year to commemorate the college football centennial. I have seen no color photographs of this helmet, but the "Helmet Hut" web site claims that the football-shape was blue in color. I would appreciate any color photographs from the game.

*1 In 1962, plain gold helmets were used only during the first two games (vs The Citadel and Kentucky).

*2 Beginning with the team's third game in 1962, FSU introduced a triple helmet design scheme. On their helmets the offensive unit wore an arrow logo, the defensive unit a tomahawk, and the multi-purpose players an "indian head". This scheme was in place until the end of the 1962 season.

*3 While this design was apparently in use for most of the 1964 season, the team used plain gold helmets (like the first helmet shown above) during at least the game against Georgia in 1964.

*4 This design was used only during the inaugural Peach Bowl game in Atlanta, GA, which was a 31-27 loss to LSU.

*5 This design was used during games against Texas Tech and Utah State at the beginning of the 1975 season.

*6 Used during one game only - a 10-6 loss to Iowa State.

*7 I have only one photograph - showing only one FSU helmet - from the 1975 FSU game against Memphis State; in this photograph, the FSU helmet lacks any stripes. I would appreciate additional photographs from this game to confirm whether or not the entire team was using stripeless helmets during this game - if so, this would "count" as an additional historical helmet design for FSU.

*8 Black helmets were worn during the 2009 home game against Maryland in order to "[pay] tribute to Osceola, the legendary Native American warrior whose leadership of the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War has made him an enduring symbol of the unconquered spirit that Florida State athletes seek to embody".

GEORGIA TECH

c.early 1960s	1965? - 1966	1969 - 1971; September 21, 2006
*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below	*see note 3 below

1967 - 1968; 1972 - 1973	1974 - ?	1984 (most games?)
		*see note 4 below

c.late 1970s - 2007	2008	2012 -
*see note 5 below

2012 -

Particularly during the 1960s and early 1970s, Georgia Tech appears to have frequently changed helmet designs, and I suspect that there may have been some years in which both white and gold helmets were used at different times. Other designs may have been used besides the ones shown here but I am nearly certain that no logo aside from the traditional "GT" has been used since 1960.

*1 Plain gold helmets were used in at least 1962 and 1963, and probably earlier. There is a gap in my records for 1964.

*2 Many photographs (but not all) from these two years show small, five-pointed "star" decals on most of the helmets, placed in the area where "primary" helmet decals are usually placed. The photographs that I have seen show up to three stars on a single helmet; when more than one is present, they are arranged in a closely-spaced horizontal row. Since not all players had these "stars", I suspect that they were an "award" decal of some sort, rather than an inherent part of the "helmet design". The stars appear to be gold or yellow in color with dark outlines.

*3 This design was brought back for the 2006 home game against Virginia, during which Georgia Tech wore "uniforms reminiscent of the early 1970s".

*4 It has been reported that plain helmets without "GT" decals were used in most games of the 1984 season, though the decals were in use during at least game #3 against Clemson and game #11 against Georgia.

*5 A switch to dark-colored facemasks was made by at least 1978, but I think it is possible that gray facemasks may have been used again sometime after 1978, and there may have been games during which both colors were in use by different players.

MARYLAND

1963 - 1965	1959 - 1962; 1966	1967
*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below	*see note 3 below

1967	1968	1969

1970	1971	1972 - 1981

1982 - 1990	1991	1992 - 1996

1997 - 2000	November 14, 2009	November 20, 2010
	*see note 4 below	*see note 4 below

	'A'	'B'
2001 - 2010	2011 -	2011 -
	*see note 5 below	*see note 6 below

'C'	'D'	'E'
2011 -	September 22, 2012	2012 -
*see note 7 below	*see note 8 below	*see note 9 below

'F'
2012 -
*see note 10 below

During the 2012 season Maryland has used three different helmet design in the following sequence (through seven games): F-F-F; D-E-E; E.

In 2011 Maryland used three different helmet designs in the the following sequence: C-B-B; B-B-B; A-B-A; C-A-B.

The above are believed to be the complete set of historical helmet designs used by Maryland during the period covered by this web site (1960 to present).

*1 In all the color pictures that I have seen showing this helmet design, the terrapin appears to be primarily yellow, but I think it is possible that a mostly brown or perhaps red version may have also been used briefly (some photographs that I have seen seem to indicate a darker-colored terrapin). It appears that most players wore black numerals on either side of the middle stripes on both the fronts and backs of their helmets during this period.

*2 A slightly different numeral style may have been used in 1966 than was used during the earlier period, and narrow red stripes may have been used between the black and yellow stripes during 1966.

*3 The decal on this helmet represents the Maryland state flag. This design was used in 1967 during at least games number 2, 3, and 7 against Syracuse, N.C. State, and Clemson, respectively. The red helmet with black stripes was used during at least game number 9 against Virginia.

*4 For one home game each in 2009 and 2010 (vs Virginia Tech and Florida State, respectively) Maryland altered its helmet design by using a military camouflage pattern within the logo (and within the middle stripe on the 2009 helmet). For the 2010 game the team wore black helmets for the first time since 2000. This was done "to support the Wounded Warrior Project, a not-for-profit organization that provides programs and services for injured service members and their families".

*5 First used October 22, 2011 (at Florida State); subsequently used November 5, 2011 (vs Virginia) and November 19, 2011 (at Wake Forest).

*6 First used September 17, 2011 (vs West Virginia); subsequently used September 24, 2011 (vs Temple), October 1, 2011 (vs Towson), October 8, 2011 (at Georgia Tech), October 15, 2011 (vs Clemson), October 29, 2011 (vs Boston College), and November 26, 2011 (at North Carolina State).

*7 First used September 5, 2011 (vs Miami (FL)); subsequently worn November 12, 2011 (vs Notre Dame at Landover, MD). The left side of the helmet is as depicted here, but the right side is very different, consisting of black and yellow quadrilateral shapes (I will probably add a representation of the right side of the helmet here eventually). The design is based on the Maryland state flag.

*8 Worn during the 2012 game at West Virginia.

*9 First worn during the 2012 home game vs Wake Forest.

*10 First worn during the 2012 home game vs William & Mary

MIAMI

c.1960 - 1964	1965 - 1968	1967; October 29, 2005
*see note 1 below		*see note 2 below

1970	1971	1971
	*see note 3 below

1972 - 1975	1977	1976; 1978 - 1983

November 20, 2010	1984 -
*see note 4 below

Like many other colleges, Miami's helmet history during the 1960s appears to be rather complicated, with a number of midseason changes having been made, particularly during the second half of the decade. This is one of those teams for which I suspect a game-by-game analysis would be necessary to identify every design used by the team.

In 1969, Miami used gold helmets with a logo consisting of a football shape with the number "100" across it, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first college football game; I do not know what colors were used in Miami's version of this decal, but in black-and-white photographs it appears to have been a dark-colored football shape with a white outline and with white numerals.

*1 White helmets with green numerals MAY also have been used at some time during the early 1960s.

*2 This design was resurrected for a 2005 home game against North Carolina in honor of the 1967 Miami team, which "played a large part in making the 1960s a prosperous decade in UM Football", according to a press release from the university.

*3 This "plain" helmet design was apparently used for just the first couple of games during 1971.

*4 Worn during the 2010 home game against Virginia Tech.

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NORTH CAROLINA

1960 - 1962	1963 - 1966	1967 - 1977
		*see note 1 below

1978 only?	1979 only?	c.early 1980s - 1985

1986 - 1987	1995 - 2000	September 29, 2012
		*see note 2 below

October 6, 2012; October 13, 2012	October 20, 2012	October 27, 2012
*see note 3 below	*see note 4 below	*see note 5 below

1988 - 1994; 2001 -

These are all of the "known" helmet designs used by UNC from 1960 to present.

*1 Several photographs that I have seen from around the period 1975 to 1977 seem to show UNC using helmet shells of a somewhat darker shade of blue than were used during other years. This seems to be most noticeable in photographs from the 1977 season.

*2 Worn during the 2012 home game against Idaho.

*3 Worn vs Virginia Tech and at Miami in 2012.

*4 Worn during the 2012 game at Duke.

*5 Worn during the 2012 home game vs North Carolina State.

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NORTH CAROLINA STATE

1960 - 1962	1963	1964 - 1967

1968 - 1971	1972 - 1977	1978 - 1980

1981 - 1982	1983 - 1985	1986 - 1998

		'B'
1999	2000 - 2006	2011 -
		*see note 1 below

'A'
2007 -

During the 2012 season N.C. State has used the following sequence of helmet designs (through four games): B-A-A; A.

A visitor to this web site brought to my attention the photograph on the left below, which I believe is from the 1984 season (or maybe 1983) - note the cartoon wolf logos worn on either side of the helmet near its front. I had speculated here previously that this might count as another helmet design for the team, and asked whether there was ever an occasion when the whole team was using these decals - but apparently that was never the case, and the wolf decals are simply "award decals" worn by a few players. I have subsequently received some other photographs (for example, the one on the right below) which show the wolf decals on some helmets, but not on others.

*1 First worn October 8, 2011 (vs Central Michigan); subsequently worn November 19, 2011 (vs Clemson), November 26, 2011 (vs Maryland), December 27, 2011 (vs Louisville in the Belk Bowl at Charlotte, NC), and August 31, 2012 (vs Tennessee at Atlanta, GA).

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VIRGINIA

1960 - 1961	1962 - 1967	1967 - 1974
	*see note 1 below

1975	1976 - 1977	1978 - 1981

1982 - 1983	1984 - 1993; September 6, 2008	2001 - 2009
	*see note 2 below

December 31, 2011; September 1, 2012; September 8, 2012	September 29, 2012	October 6, 2012
*see note 3 below	*see note 4 below	*see note 5 below

1994 - 2000; 2010 -

*1 This design remained in use through at least the first game of the 1967 season against Army. The oval-shaped logo was added by at least the final game of the 1967 season against Maryland.

*2 This helmet design featured a rare even number (2) of stripes, as opposed to the usual 1, 3, or 5 stripes; a navy blue stripe on the left side of center bordered directly against an orange stripe of the same width on the right side. This design was brought back for a home game against Richmond in 2008, with the following justification from the team's web site: "Saturday’s 'Retro Game' celebrates that 10-year era of Virginia football from 1984 to 1993. During that time frame, UVa won 72 games and the school’s first ACC football championship, earned a No. 1 national ranking, and participated in six bowl games. The 1989 team will be recognized at halftime of the Retro Game".

*3 Worn vs Auburn during the 2011 Chik-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta, GA, and home games vs Richmond and vs Penn State in 2012.

*4 Worn during the 2012 home game vs Louisiana Tech.

*5 Worn during the 2012 game at Duke.

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VIRGINIA TECH

1960 - 1961	1962 - 1965	1966 - 1970; September 12, 2009
		*see note 1 below

1971 - 1973; September 6, 2008	1974 - 1977	1978 - 1982
*see note 2 below

1983 - 1986	1987 - 1998	November 14, 2009; November 28, 2009
		*see note 3 below

September 6, 2010	September 11, 2010; October 9, 2010	November 20, 2010; December 4, 2010
*see note 4 below	*see note 5 below	*see note 6 below

January 3, 2011	September 17, 2011; October 15, 2011; October 22, 2011	September 24, 2011
*see note 7 below	*see note 8 below	*see note 9 below

November 10, 2011	November 26, 2011	September 8, 2012
*see note 10 below	*see note 11 below	*see note 12 below

September 22, 2012	October 13, 2012; October 20, 2012	1999 -
	*see note 13 below

This is believed to be a complete set of helmet images for Virginia Tech for the period 1966 to present. In 1960 and 1961, the team used white helmets with a darker stripe and with uniform numerals on the sides; the color of the stripe and numerals is presently unknown, but both were probably maroon. From 1962 through 1965, Virginia Tech wore maroon helmets with light-colored uniform numerals (probably white) on the sides. I would appreciate some color photographs of these early helmets to confirm the colors used on the helmets.

*1 This design was brought back for use during the home game against Marshall in 2009 as a tribute to Frank Loria, who played safety at Virginia Tech from 1965 through 1967. Loria later became an assistant coach at Marshall and was a victim of the November 14, 1970 airplane crash which claimed the lives of most of the Marshall team and coaching staff.

*2 This design was resurrected for use during a home game against Furman in 2008.

*3 Worn during games at Maryland and at Virginia during the 2009 season.

*4 Worn during the 2010 game against Boise State played in Landover, MD.

*5 Worn during the 2010 home games against James Madison and Central Michigan.

*6 Worn during the 2010 game at Miami (FL) and during the 2010 ACC championship game against Florida State played in Charlotte, NC.

*7 Worn vs Stanford during the January 3, 2011 Orange Bowl game at Miami, FL.

*8 Worn vs Arkansas State, at Wake Forest, and vs Boston College during the 2011 season.

*9 Worn during the 2011 game at Marshall.

*10 Worn during the 2011 game at Georgia Tech.

*11 Worn during the 2011 game at Virginia.

*12 Worn during the 2012 home game vs Austin Peay.

*13 Worn in the 2012 season during the home game vs Duke and the road game at Clemson.

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WAKE FOREST

1960 - ?	1961 - 1963	1964
		*see note 1 below

1965 - 1968	1969 - 1971	1972
*see note 1 below

1973	1974	1975
*see note 2 below	*see note 3 below

1976 - 1977	1978	1979 - 1986

1987 - 1990	1991 - 1992	1993 - 2000

2001 -

Wake Forest apparently used black helmets in 1960 with light-colored numerals and light-colored stripes; a color photograph (to clarify the color of the stripe and numerals) from the 1960 season would be appreciated.

*1 I have received conflicting information about the color of the letters "WF" inside the black circular logo on these two helmets. One person has reported that the "WF" was yellow in 1964, but had been changed to white by at least 1967; another person has reported that the letters were always yellow. The photographs that I have seen are ambiguous. Most seem to imply that the letters were somewhat lighter than the helmet shell color, though some also seem to show the letters being darker than other white parts of the helmet (such as the stripes and the chinstrap). The only color photograph I have ever received from these years (see below, from the 1968 season) does suggest that the letters may have been yellow rather than white.

*2 Previously I had speculated here that some very small text (possibly "WAKE FOREST") was present within the middle white stripe on the helmet logo of this design, but new information reveals that these features were actually the "stitches" on the "football". As to why this logo was worn I have received the following explanation from a 1973 Wake Forest vs William & Mary game program: "One of the more noticeable changes [head coach] Chuck Mills has brought to the 1973 Deacon football team is the redesigning of the players' helmets. More specifically, not only is the helmet now a solid white, excluding a gold and black stripe down its center, but on each side is a decal unique to Wake Forest football. It is a red, white, and blue football, with corresponding stars and stripes similar to the American flag. 'The idea of the decal evolved from the Centennial of College Football in 1969,' Mills explains. 'Simply, our decal is to signify our game of American Football is more native and unique to America on the international plateau than any sport we participate in. It is also a reminder of the concepts we attribute to the "American Dream" and the role athletics play in the endeavour to strive for that dream.'" (thanks Marcus).

*3 In 1974 Wake Forest used the same helmet logo that was used in 1973, but only on the right sides of the teams' helmets. On the left sides was worn a new logo incorporating both the American and Japanese flags within a football-shape; this was apparently done in recognition of a trip made to Japan in January 1974 by the Wake Forest team, during which two exhibition games were played against Japanese college teams.