Conference USA


FLORIDA
INTERNATIONAL
JACKSONVILLE
STATE
KENNESAW STATE
"Panthers" "Gamecocks" "Owls"
Miami, FL Jacksonville, AL Kennesaw, GA
LIBERTY LOUISIANA TECH MIDDLE TENNESSEE
STATE
"Flames" "Bulldogs" "Blue Raiders"
Lynchburg, VA Ruston, LA Murfreesboro, TN
NEW MEXICO STATE SAM HOUSTON STATE UTEP
"Aggies" "Bearcats" "Miners"
Las Cruces, NM Huntsville, TX El Paso, TX
WESTERN KENTUCKY
"Hilltoppers"
Bowling Green, KY

Kennesaw State is a new member of this conference and of NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision in 2024.


Historical Helmets

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

'A' 'B'
2002 - 2007 2008 - 2015 -
'C' 'D' 'E'
2016 2016 2017 -
'F' 'G' 'H'
2017 - 2017 - 2018 -
'I' 'J' 'K'
2018 - 2018 - 2019 -
*see note 1 below
'L' 'M' 'N'
2019 - 2019 - 2019 -
'O' 'P' 'Q'
2019 - 2020 2021 -
'R' 'S' 'T' (and 'T1')
2021 - 2022 - 2022 -
*see note 1 below for 'T1'
'U' 'V' 'W'
2022 - 2022 - 2022 -
*see note 1 below *see note 1 below
'X' 'Y' 'Z'
2022 - 2022 - 2022 -
*see note 1 below *see note 1 below
'AA' 'AB' 'AC'
2022 - 2023 - 2023 -
'AD' 'AE' 'AF'
2022 - 2023 - 2023 -
'AG' 'AH' 'AI'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
'AJ' 'AK' 'AL'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
'AM' 'AN' 'AO'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
*see note 1 below
'AP' 'AQ'
2024 - 2024 -

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

FIU played its first season of football in 2002.

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

'J' 'T1' and 'AN' 'V'
'W' 'X' 'Y'
'AE' 'AF'

Return to top of page


JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY

? - 1981 1982 - 1983 1984
1985 - 1996;
October 26, 2002
1997 - 1999 2000 - 2001
2002 (first 7 games) 2002 (last 3 games) November 9, 2013
'B' 'C'
November 23, 2013 2014 2014
*see note 1 below
'D' (and 'D1') 'E' 'A'
2014 - 2021 November 14, 2015 2003 - 2014
*see note 2 below
'F' 'G' 'H'
2017 2022 - 2023 -
'I' 'J'
2024 - 2024 - -

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

JSU used three different helmet designs in 2002. The team began the season wearing white uniform numerals on their helmets; these were used for the team's first seven games. On October 26, the old oval-shaped logo was brought back for a single home game against Stephen F. Austin; this was done in recognition of the 10th anniversary of JSU's 1992 Division II National Championship season. The team used plain red helmets for its last three games in 2002 and then adopted a new design in 2003.

*1 Numerals were used only on the left side of each helmet; the right side featured an enormous "gamecock" logo (as shown below) which partially spilled over to the left hemisphere.

*2 Helmet design 'D' has the "JSU" logo on its left side only; the right side has white uniform numerals (as represented below). Design 'D1' has the "JSU" logo on both the left and right sides.

Return to top of page


KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

'A' 'B' 'C'
2015 - 2016 - 2016; 2019
'D' 'E' 'F'
2017 2017 2018
'G' 'H' 'I'
2019 2021 2022 -
*see note 1 below

The KSU football team played its first season in 2015. The team has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

*1 The "KS" logo is present on the left side only of this design; uniform numerals are worn on the right side (as represented below).


LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

1973 - 1974 1975 1976
1977 - 1978 1979 - 1983 1984
*see note 1 below
1985 1987 - 1988 1991
*see note 1 below *see note 1 below
1986; 1989 - 1990; 1992 1993 1994 - 1999
2000 2001 - 2003 2004 - 2005
November 20, 2010 2006 - 2010 2011 - 2012
'A' 'B' 'C'
2013 - 2013 2013 -
'D' 'E' 'F'
2014 - 2014 - 2015 2016 -
'G' 'H' 'I'
2018 - 2018 - 2018 -
*see note 2 below
'J' 'K' 'L'
2019 - 2019 - 2019 -
'M' 'N' 'O'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
'P' 'Q' 'R'
2023 - 2023 - 2024 -
'S' 'T' 'U'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
'V' 'W'
2024 - 2024 -

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

This school's football team played its first season in 1973, at which time the school name was Lynchburg Baptist College and the team colors were gold and green. In 1976 the name was changed to Liberty Baptist College and blue, red, and white were adopted as the school colors. The team was affiliated with both the NAIA and NCAA for a few years before switching solely to NCAA Division II in 1983. The college was renamed Liberty University in 1985 and a move to NCAA Division I-AA occurred in 1988. In 2019 Liberty completed a transition to Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.

The two "known" "missing" helmet designs used by this team are those used in 1976 and 1993; below are photographs of these:

The 1976 design appears to have a "liberty bell" symbol with the number 76 across its lower portion; the colors used on this design are unknown but the helmet color is presumably blue. In 1993 Liberty used red helmets with the word "Liberty" in a script style, apparently blue letters with a white or silver outline. Clearer photographs of either of these designs would be appreciated greatly.

*1 The stripe sequence on each of these helmet designs is (from left to right) blue-white-red.

*2 The "'71" on this design (commemorating Lynchburg Baptist College's first year of operations) is worn on the left side only; a logo is worn on the right side (as shown below).

Return to top of page


LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY

? - 1967 1969 1968 - c.early 1980s; c.1989
*see note 1 below
c.mid 1980s - 1988 c.early 1990s - 2006 2007
*see note 2 below
'B' 'C'
2008 - 2012 2013 - 2014 2014
'D' 'E' 'A'
2014 - 2015; 2021 - 2015; 2021 - 2013 - 2014
'F' 'G' 'H'
2015 - 2016 2016 - 2020 2016; 2018
*see note 3 below
'I' 'J' 'K'
2016 - 2017; 2019 - 2020 2017 - 2018; 2020 - 2021
*see note 3 below *see note 4 below
'L' 'M' 'N'
2022 - 2022 - 2024 -
*see note 4 below
'O' 'P' 'Q'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -

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

*1 The "100" logo was worn only on the left sides of the Louisiana Tech helmets in 1969, with the state outline logo worn on the right sides.

*2 The earliest and latest seasons from which I have seen photographs showing stripes on the red helmet are 1985 and 1988, respectively

*3 'F' and 'J' differ in that 'F' has two narrow red stripes between the middle blue stripe and the outer white stripes, while 'J' does not.

*4 'K' and 'L' differ in that 'L' has two narrow red stripes between the middle blue stripe and the outer white stripes, while 'K' does not..

Return to top of page


MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

1960 - 1963 1964 1965 - 1966
1967 - 1968 1969 1970
1972 1971 - 1973 1974
*see note 1 below
1975 1976 1977
1978 1979 - 1981 1982 - 1998
'A' 'B'
1999 2000 - 2014 2012 - 2013
'C' 'D' 'E'
2013 2013 2014 -
'F' 'G' 'H'
2014 - 2014 - 2014
'I' 'J' 'K'
2014 - 2014 - 2015 -
'L' 'M' 'N'
2015 - 2015 - 2016 -
'O' 'P' 'Q'
2016 - 2016 - 2017 -
'R' 'S' 'T'
2017 - 2017 - 2017 -
'U' 'V' 'W'
2017 2018 2019 -
'X' 'Y' (and 'Y1') 'Z'
2021 - 2021 - 2022 -
*see note 2 below
'AA' 'AB' 'AC'
2022- 2022 - 2022 -
'AD' 'AE' 'AF'
2022- 2022 - 2023 -

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

*1 MTSU used plain white helmets during at least games #3 and #7 of the 1972 season, but the design labelled "1971 - 1973" above was used during game #10.

*2 Six different sets of stripes are worn on designs 'Y' and 'Y1' representing the six branches of the United States Armed Forces; below are representations of these variations. Each of the stripes has left/right symmetry except for the Coast Guard design, which is blue-white-red (from left to right) with approximate width ratios of 1:1:5 for the three colors. An insignia of the same branch is worn on the back of the helmet.

Air Force Army Coast Guard
Marine Corps Navy Space Force

'Y1' is identical to 'Y' except that the "MT" logo on the right side is replaced with a three-digit number (as depicted below). The numbers represent according to an article published at the team's website "the individual player's area code" (presumably that of his home town). Forty-four different 3-digit numbers were used, with the most numerous (15 instances) being the 615 area code local to Murfreesboro, TN.

Return to top of page


NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY

1960 - 1965 1966 - 1968 1969
1970 - 1972 1973 1974 - 1977
1978 - 1982 1983 - 1985 1986
1987 - 1989 1990 - 1994 1995 - 2004
October 18, 2008 2005 - 2008 2009 - 2012
*see note 1 below
'A' 'B' 'C' (and'C1' through 'C7')
2013 - 2015 2015 2016 - 2017; 2020*
*see note 2 below
'D' 'E' 'F'
2017 2018 2018
*see note 3 below *see note 4 below
'G' (& 'G1','G2',&'G3') 'H' 'I' (and 'I1')
2019 2019 2021 -
*see note 5 below *see note 6 below *see note 7 below
'J' 'K' (and 'K1' & 'K2') 'L'
2021 - 2022 - 2023 -
*see note 8 below *see note 9 below
'M' 'N' 'O'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
'P' 'Q' 'R'
2023 - 2024 - 2024 -
'S' 'T'
2024 - 2024 -

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

  • 2024: Q-R-Q; Q-R-S; T-R-S; M-N-N
  • 2023: L-L-K1; M-K1-N; K2-K2-N; O-O-O; K2-P-P (the last two games being at Liberty in the Conference USA championship game, and vs Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, NM)
  • 2022: K-K-K; K1-K1-K1; K2-K2-K1; K-K-K; K2 (the last game being vs Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl at Detroit, MI)
  • 2021: I-I-I; I1-I1-I1; I1-I1-J; J-I-I
  • 2020*: C7-C7
  • 2019: G-G-G1; G2-G2-G3; G3-G3-G3; H-H-H
  • 2018: E-E-F; F-F-C5; C5-C1-C1; C6-C6-C6
  • 2017: C3-C3-C3; C4-C4-C4; C4-C1-C1; C1-D-D; D (the last game being vs Utah State in the Arizona Bowl at Tuscon, AZ)
  • 2016: C-C-C; C-C1-C1; C2-C2-C2; C2-C2-C2
  • 2015: A-A-B; B-B-A; A-A-A; A-A-A

*1 The "ribbon" logo is present on the left side only of this design; on the right side is the "Aggies" logo worn on both sides of the design labelled "2005 - 2008".

*2 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side of designs 'C', 'C1', 'C2', 'C3', 'C4', 'C5', 'C6', and 'C7', but a different logo is present on the right side of each of these (as represented below).

'C' 'C1' 'C2'
'C3' 'C4' 'C5'
'C6' 'C7'

*3 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a logo depicting two pistols (as represented below).

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

*5 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side of designs 'G', 'G1', 'G2', and 'G3' but a different logo is present on the right side of each of these (as represented below).

'G' 'G1' 'G2'
'G3'

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

*7 Uniform numbers are worn on the left sides only of designs 'I' and 'I1'; logos are worn on the right sides as depicted below..

'I' 'I1'

*8 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of design 'J'; a logo is present on the right side (as represented below).

*9 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of both 'K' and 'K1'; different logos are present on the right sides of these (as represented below).

'K' 'K1' 'K2'

Return to top of page


SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

1976 1975; 1977 1979
1978; 1980 1981 1982 - 1985
*see note 1 below *see note 2 below
1986 - 1988 1989 - 1993 1994 - 1996
1997 (first 2 games) 1997 (last 9 games) 1998? - 2004
'A'
2005 (first game or two); 2010 2005 - 2009; 2011 - 2019 2020* -
'B' (and 'B1') 'C' 'D'
2021 2023 - 2024 -
*see note 3 below
'E' 'F'
2024 - 2024 -

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

  • 2023: A-A-A; A-A-A; A-C-C; C-C-C
  • 2022: A (entire season)
  • 2021: B-B-B1; B1-B1-A; A-A-A; A-A-A (the last two games being FCS playoff games vs Incarnate Word and vs Montana State)

I have not received any information about pre-1975 SHSU helmets. In 1979 the team used white helmets with a "bearkat head" logo (photo below); I would appreciate a clear color photograph of this design. It has been reported to me that not enough of these decals were ordered, and that towards the end of the season about half the team were using "blank" helmets.

I received some contradictory reports about the decals used by SHSU in 2010; apparently both the orange and white versions of the most recent helmet decal were used in 2010, occasionally at the same time by different players. Can anyone clarify how these were used in 2010? Did one version eventually supersede the other? The white version was apparently used by the entire team during the 2011 season.

*1 The logo shown on this design was actually worn only on the right sides of the helmets; the left sides were "blank".

*2 The 1982-1985 design has been described as being identical to the one shown as "1986-1988" with the exception that there was a blue stripe between the orange and white stripes on each side (in other words the stripe sequence was white-blue-orange-blue-white). I would appreciate a photograph from the 1982-1985 period which clearly shows the width of the blue stripe relative to the others.

*3 Design 'B' has the cartoon bearkat on both sides; 'B1' has the bearkat on the left side only, with the "SH" logo of design 'A' on the right side.

Return to top of page


UTEP University of Texas at El Paso

1960 - 1961 1962 1963 - 1964
1965 1966 1967 - 1970
1971 1972 1973
1974 - 1976 1977 1978 - 1979
1980 - 1981 1982 (early season) 1982 - 1985
*see note 1 below
1986 - 1987 1988 - 1990 1991
'E' 'A'
1992 - 1998 1999; 2018 - 2000 - 2017
'B' 'C' 'D'
2014 - 2017 2016 - 2017; 2019 - 2017 -
'F' 'G' 'H'
2018 2018 2018
'I' 'J' 'K'
2018 - 2021 - 2021 -
'L' 'M' 'N'
2022 - 2022 - 2022 -
'O' 'P' 'Q'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
'R' (and 'R1') 'S' 'T'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
*see note 2 below *see note 3 below
'U' 'V'
2024 - 2024 -
*see note 3 below *see note 3 below

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

  • 2024: R-S-S; R-T-U; S-R-R1; O-R-V
  • 2023: E-O-D; E-P-D; I-Q-N; E-N-I
  • 2022: L-M-M; N-N-L; L-J-J; M-N-L
  • 2021: E-E-E; J-K-I; C-I-E; C-J-E; E (the last game being vs Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, NM)
  • 2020: I-I-I; E-E-E; E-I
  • 2019: E-D-C; E-E-E; D-C-E; C-E-D
  • 2018: E-E-F; G-D-H; H-D-D; G-D-G
  • 2017: C-D-C; D-C-B; D-A-D; A-C-C
  • 2016: C-A-A; C-A-A; A-B-C; B-B-C
  • 2015: A-A-A; B-B-A; A-A-A; A-A-A
  • 2014: A-A-A; A-A-B; B-B-B; B-B-B; B (the last game being vs Utah State in the New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, NM)

*1 UTEP did not use a helmet logo during at least its first five games in 1982; a new 'UTEP' logo was used by at least game #7 (October 16 at Arizona State). No information has yet been located for game #6 (October 9 at UNLV).

*2 Helmet designs 'R' and 'R1' both have uniform numbers on their left sides only; the right sides differ as depicted below.

'R' 'R1'

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

'S' 'U' 'V'

Return to top of page


WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

c.1970s c.1980s c.1997
? - 2002 September 10, 2005 2003 - 2006
*see note 1 below
2007 - 2010 September 10, 2011 2011 - 2012
'A' 'B' 'C'
2013 - 2016 - 2016 -
'D' 'E' 'F'
2018 - 2018 - 2018 -
'G' 'H' 'I'
2020 - 2020 - 2020 -
'J' 'K' 'L'
2021 - 2021 - 2022 -
'M' 'N' 'O'
2022 - 2022- 2022 -
'P' 'Q' 'R'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
'S' 'T' 'U'
2023 - 2023 - 2023 -
*see note 2 below
'V' 'W' 'X'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
'Y' 'Z' 'AA'
2024 - 2024 - 2024 -
'AB' 'AC'
2024 - 2024 -

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

  • 2023: G-P-Q; R-R-P; R-S-T; U-T-R; R (the last game being vs Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl at Charlotte, NC)
  • 2022: L-H-L; K-K-G; G-M-G; G-N-G; O (the last game being vs South Alabama in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans, LA)
  • 2021: J-G-G; G-G-G; G-K-G; G-G-G; G-G (the last two games being vs UTSA in the Conference USA championship game at San Antonio, TX, and vs Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl at Boca Raton, FL)
  • 2020: G-G-H; I-G-H; G-G-G; G-G-G (the last game being vs Georgia State in the LendingTree Bowl at Mobile, AL)
  • 2019: A-A-A; F-A-D; A-A-A; A-A-A; A (the last game being vs Western Michigan in the First Responder Bowl at Dalls, TX)
  • 2018: A-A-A; A-A-A; D-E-A; A-A-F
  • 2017: A-A-A; B-B-A; A-A-A; B-A-A; A (the last game being vs Georgia State in the Cure Bowl at Orlando, FL)
  • 2016: A-B-A; A-A-A; B-A-A; C-A-A; A-A (the last two games being vs Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA championship game at Bowling Green, KY, and vs Memphis in the Boca Raton Bowl at Boca Raton, FL)

*1 This design was used during the 2005 home game against Eastern Kentucky and reportedly several other games that year (which ones?).

*2 Design 'S' uses seven different versions of WKU's mascot 'Big Red' engaged in football activity; each player wore a version corresponding with his own position on the team. Below are representations of the seven subdesigns used.

Defensive backs Linebackers Linemen
Quarterbacks Receivers Running backs
Specialists

 

 

Return to top of page