Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

DAVENPORT	FERRIS STATE	GRAND VALLEY STATE
"Panthers"	"Bulldogs"	"Lakers"
Grand Rapids, MI	Big Rapids, MI	Allendale, MI

MICHIGAN TECH	NORTHERN MICHIGAN	SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
"Huskies"	"Wildcats"	"Cardinals"
Houghton, MI	Marquette, MI	University Center, MI

WAYNE STATE
"Warriors"
Detroit, MI

Historical Helmets

DAVENPORT

2016 -

Some photographs taken during the 2022 football season appear to suggest that this team's helmets are not quite black, but a very slightly "dark reddish-black" color. The slight difference is most noticeable in photographs taken during games in which the opposing team is also wearing black helmets (Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech).

This team played its first season of football in 2016.

FERRIS STATE

2003 - 2005	2006? - 2008	? - 2002; 2009 - 2011

2012 -

GRAND VALLEY STATE

1997 - 1998	1999	2000
*see note 1 below

2001	2002 - 2007	October 22, 2011

	'B'	'C'
2008 - 2011	2013 - 2014	2014
		*see note 2 below

'D'	'A'	'E'
2014	2012 -	2015
*see note 3 below		*see note 7 below

'F'	'G'	'H'
2015	2016 -	2016 -
*see note 4 below

'I'	'J'	'K'
2017	2018	2019 -
*see note 5 below

'L'	'M'	'N'
2019 -	2021 -	2021 -
	*see note 6 below

'O'	'P'	'Q'
2021 -	2021 -	2021 -

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

• 2021: M-K-N; O-P-L; Q-L-K; K-K-K (the last two games being NCAA Division II playoff games vs Lindenwood and at Ferris State)
• 2020: [no schedule played]
• 2019: K-K-L; L-K-K; L-K-K; K-K
• 2018: H-G-G; H-G-J; G-G-H; G-G-H (the last game being an NCAA Division II playoff game vs Northwest Missouri State)
• 2017: I-H-G; G-H-H; G-H-H; G-G
• 2016: G-H-G; H-G-G; H-G-H; G-H-H; G (the last two games being NCAA Division II playoff games vs Texas A&M-Commerce and Ferris State)
• 2015: A-A-A; A-A-A; E-A-F; A-F-A; A-A-A (the last four games being NCAA Division II playoff games at Ashland, at Ferris State, at Colorado State-Pueblo, and at Shepherd)
• 2014: C-A-A; A-A-D; A-B-B; A-B
• 2013: A-A-A; A-A-B; B-A-A; B-B-B; B-B-B (the last four games being NCAA Division II playoff games vs Saginaw Valley State, at Colorado State-Pueblo, vs West Texas A&M, and at Northwest Missouri State)

*1 This design is 'blank' on its left side but has a 'laker' logo on its right side (as represented below).

*2 Uniform numerals are present on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a "GV" logo (as shown below).

*3 The left side of this design is "blank" while the right side features a vintage "Laker" logo (as shown below).

*4 The "GV" logo is present on the left side only of this design; the right side features black uniform numerals (as shown below).

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

*6 The "GV" logo is worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is "1971", representing the first year of the GVSU varsity football team (as depicted below).

*7 The logo is present on the left side only of this design; the right side is "blank".

MICHIGAN TECH

1986 - 1987	? - 2000	2001 - 2007

2008 - 2015	2016 -

NORTHERN MICHIGAN

? - 2001	2002 - 2005	2006 - 2008

2009 - 2011	2012 - 2013	2014

2015 - 2016	2015 -
*see note 1 below

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

SAGINAW VALLEY STATE

c.late 1990s?	c.1999? - 2010	2011
	*see note 1 below

2012 - 2019	2021 -

*1 For at least the last several years (and perhaps the entire period) when this logo was used it was worn only on the right sides of the helmets, with the left sides remaining "blank".

WAYNE STATE

		'B'
? - 2001?	2002 - 2009	2014 -

'A'
2010 -

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

• 2022: B-B-A; B-A-B; B-A-B; B
• 2021: A-B-B; A-B-B; B-B-A; A-B
• 2020: [no schedule played]
• 2019: B-B-A; A-B-B; A-B-B; A-B
• 2018: B-A-A; A-B-A; A-B-A; B-A
• 2017: A-B-A; ?-A-B; B-A-B; B-A (no information for September 23 vs Tiffin)
• 2016: A-A-B; B-B-A; B-A-A; A-B
• 2015: A-B-B; A-A-A; B-A-?; B-A (no information for October 31 vs Findlay)
• 2014: B-B-A; A-B-A; A-B-A; A-A

Wayne State used the nickname "Tartars" prior to July 29, 1999. I have found very little information regarding helmet designs used by the team during the "Tartars" era but there was at least one spectacular design, visible in the photograph below along with a logo that appears to be the correct one; this photograph dates from approximately the mid-1970s. I would greatly appreciate any larger and clearer photographs of this design, especially color photographs.