Big South-OVC Football Association


CHARLESTON
SOUTHERN
EASTERN ILLINOIS GARDNER-WEBB
"Buccaneers" "Panthers" "Bulldogs"
Charleston, SC Charleston, IL Boiling Springs, NC
LINDENWOOD SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
STATE
TENNESSEE STATE
"Lions" "RedHawks" "Tigers"
St. Charles, MO Cape Girardeau, MO Nashville, TN
TENNESSEE TECH UT-MARTIN WESTERN ILLINOIS
"Golden Eagles" "Skyhawks" "Leathernecks"
Cookeville, TN Martin, TN Macomb, IL

Western Illinois is a new member of this conference in 2024.


Historical Helmets

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

1991 1992 - 1993 1994 - 1995
1996 - 1997 1998 1999 - 2002
'A' 'B'
2003 - 2012 2013 - 2015; 2017 2015 - 2018
'C' 'D' 'E'
2016 - 2018 2017 2019 - 2021
'F' 'G' (and 'G1') 'H'
2019 - 2019 2020* -
*see note 1 below
'I' 'J' 'K'
2022 - 2023 - 2023 -

During recent years Charleston Southern has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

The first CSU varsity football team played in 1991. The above are all of the "known" helmet designs used by the team with the exception of those used in the mid-1990s. In 1994 and 1995 the team used what were apparently navy blue helmets with a "CSU" logo on the sides (see photo below). The color of the logo is unknown but it was probably white or gold; the color of the three stripes on the helmet is also unknown. The 1996 - 1997 design was apparently identical but lacked the stripes.

*1 Design 'G' is "blank" on both sides; 'G1' is blank on the left side but has white uniform numerals (like those of design 'F') on the right side.

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EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

1969 1970 - 1974 1975
1976 - 1977 1978 - 1981? 1982? - ?
1990 - 1992 1993 1994
1995 - 1999 2000 - 2011 2012 - 2014
'A'
2015 (1st four games) 2018 - 2020* October 10, 2015 - 2017; 2021-
'B' 'C'
2023 - 2024 -

In 2023 EIU used two of the above helmet designs in the following sequence: A-A-B; B-B-A; B-B-B; B-B

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GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

1970 1971 - 1972 1973 - 1974
1975 - 1976 1977 1978
1979 - ? ? - 1984 1985 - ?
1993 1998 - 1999 2000 - 2007
2008 - 2009 2010 - 2011 2012 - 2016
'A'
2017 - 2020* - 2021 2022 -
'B'
2022 -

During recent years Gardner-Webb has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

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LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY

c.early 1990s ? - 2000 2001
*see note 1 below
2002 2003 2004 - 2006
'A'
2007 - 2009 2010 - 2011 2012 - 2015
'B' 'C' 'D'
2015 2015 2016
*see note 2 below *see note 3 below *see note 3 below
'E' 'F' 'G'
2016 2017 - 2017 -
*see note 2 below
'H' 'I' 'J'
2017 - 2018 - 2019 -
'K' 'L' 'M'
2021 - 2021 - 2021 -
*see note 4 below
'N' 'O'
2024 - 2024 -

During recent years Lindenwood has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

*1 This design was in use during at least the period 1992 through 1995.

*2 Designs 'B' and 'E' both have uniform numbers on the left side only; on the right side is a large "lion head" logo (as represented below).

*3 Designs 'C' and 'D' both have uniform numbers on the left side only; on the right side is a large "lion head" logo (as represented below).

*4 The "LU" logo is worn on the left side only of this design; uniform numbers are worn on the right side (as represented below).

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SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

? - 1961 1962 - 1963 1964 - ?
? - 1968 1969 1970 - ?
? - 1976 1977 - ? ? - 1979
*see note 1 below
1980 - ? ? - 2002 2003
2004 2005 - 2012 September 6, 2014
*see note 1 below
'C' 'A' 'B'
October 31, 2015;
October 29, 2016;
2017
2013 - 2017 -
'D' 'E'
2018 2022 -
*see note 2 below

During recent years Southeast Missouri State has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

Prior to 1967 I think this team used black helmets, but color photographs from this period have been almost impossible to find and the true color is uncertain. These helmets were apparently "plain" some years, but one of the more interesting "known" early helmet logos was worn by this team in both 1962 and 1963; below are some photographs showing this elusive logo:

The logo is apparently an "Indian head" in profile; if any clearer photographs of this design are in existence I would greatly appreciate copies of them.

Southeast Missouri apparently did not use another helmet logo until either 1975 or 1976, when the first of at least three different short-lived logos was adopted. Below are photographs of the three known late 1970s SEMO helmet logos gathered from the university's yearbooks:

The first of these was apparently first used in either 1975 or 1976 and features a red "M" inside an outline of the state of Missouri, plus there is some unknown small feature atop the northern side of the state. The 1977 logo is similar, but appears to lack the mysterious small feature. In either 1978 or 1979 another new logo was used - the letter "M" inside a circle with "feathers" attached to the side of the circle. I would again greatly appreciate clearer photographs of any of these designs.

The team nickname was changed from "Indians" to "RedHawks" prior to the 2005 season.

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a large "hawk head" logo (as represented below).

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a "hawk head" logo (as represented below).

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TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

c.1960s c.late 1970s c.1986
'C'
? - 2009 October 23, 2010 -
November 20, 2010
2010 (first seven games);
2011 - 2016
*see note 1 below
'A' 'B' 'D'
2017 - 2018 2017 - 2019 2019
'E' 'F' 'G'
2020* 2021 2022
*see note 2 below *see note 2 below
'H' 'I' 'J'
2022 2022 2023 -
*see note 2 below *see note 2 below *see note 2 below
'K' 'L'
2023 - 2023 -

During recent years TSU has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

*1 This design was used during TSU's last four games of the 2010 season (vs Tennessee Tech, vs Eastern Illinois, at Tennessee-Martin, at Murray State).

*2 The right side of each of these designs differs from the left as depicted below.

'F' 'G' 'H'
'I' 'J' 'K'
'L'

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TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

c.1950s - mid 1960s c.1965 1968? - 1976
1977 - 1982 1983 - 1985 1986
1987 - 1988 1989 - 1992 1993
1994 - 1996 1997 - 2005 2006
'E' 'A'
2007 - 2008 2009 - 2015 2013
'B' 'C' 'D'
2014 - 2015 2013 - 2015 2012; 2014
'F' 'G' 'H'
2016 - 2017 2016 - 2018 2018
'I' 'J' 'K'
2019 - 2020* 2019 - 2021 2022 -
'L' 'M'
2022 - 2023 -

During recent years Tennessee Tech has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

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UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN

c.1980s 1987 - 1988 ? - 1999?
2000? - 2002 2003 - 2004 2005
*see note 1 below
2006 2007 2008 -

At some point during the late 1990s UT-Martin used white helmets with a decal of the team name "Skyhawks" on the sides; I would appreciate a clear photograph of one of these helmets. The team name was changed from "Pacers" to "Skyhawks" in 1995.

*1 The numerals on this helmet design were worn only on the left sides of the helmets during at least the 2004 season.

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WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

1960 - 1962 1963 1964 - 1965
1966 1967 1968 - 1973
1974 - 1975 1976 1977 - 1978
1979 1980 - 1982 1990
1987 - 1989; 1991 1983 - 1986; 1992 - 1996 1997 - 2011
'A'
2012 - 2014 October 31, 2015 2015 -
'B' 'C'
2018 - 2022 -
*see note 1 below

During recent years WIU has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; a logo is present on the right side (as depicted below).

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