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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Mike McDaniel

Ranking the Top 10 New College Football Uniforms for 2023

Football Gators Michigan State Bearcats Cincinnati (Organization) Irish Maryland (Organization) Notre Dame (Organization) Ohio State Tennessee (Organization)

The 2023 college football season is upon us, and as such, it’s that time of year when programs lean into the hype and excitement by unveiling new uniforms to be worn during the upcoming campaign.

Whether teams are revealing new home and away kits or an alternate uniform for a special game, fans wait with bated breath to see what fits their favorite teams will sport this fall.

Schools across the country have been releasing new uniforms almost daily of late, and so it’s only right that Sports Illustrated compiles a list of the top 10 new college football uniforms for 2023.

Let’s get into it.

1. FIU’s “Miami Vice” Alternate Uniform

Bet you weren’t expecting to see a Conference USA team on this list.

Sure, Florida International may be rebuilding and looking to build momentum after posting a 4-8 record last season. But that doesn’t mean the Panthers can’t sport some slick alternate uniforms to lean into the Miami Vice old-school look.

The Panthers will wear these black jerseys with fuchsia accents when they take on UTEP at home on Oct. 11.

2. Michigan State’s Throwback Sparta Design

“THIS IS SPARTA” can now be attributed to more than just the movie 300. 

Michigan State unveiled new uniforms complete with a Greek design on the helmet stripe, pants, arm sleeve and neckline of the jersey. The uniform concept evokes the uniforms worn by the Spartans men’s basketball team when it won the 2000 national championship under legendary coach Tom Izzo.

Michigan State basketball sported the look again in 2020 to honor the 20-year anniversary of the national title.

As for the football design, the new uniforms are in all-green, all-white and an all-black alternate that will make the Spartans look sharp on the field this fall.

3. Florida’s “Saluting Those Who Serve” Alternate Uniform

The Gators have worn all-black uniforms in the past, but this year’s alternate uniform for the “Saluting Those Who Serve” game against Arkansas on Nov. 4 in Gainesville is particularly clean.

Florida will rock the script “Gators” helmet, which will be black with the script in blue, with a black jersey and black pants with white, orange and blue accents. The jersey also will feature nameplates on the back that display one of five terms: commitment, courage, excellence, honor or integrity.

It will be quite the sight in the Swamp on Nov. 4 when the Gators take the field in these uniforms.

4. Notre Dame’s “New” Kelly Green Alternate Uniform

Notre Dame has worn kelly green jerseys plenty of times in the past. But this year’s kit is a new version of the uniform, as the Irish will wear the kelly green jersey and matching pants with their iconic gold helmets when they take on a Ohio State at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 23.

Paul Lukas of Uni Watch notes that the Irish are 10-6 when wearing their kelly green jerseys dating back to 1983. Notre Dame most recently sported the jerseys last season against Cal in a game that the Irish won, 24–17, in South Bend. 

5. Maryland’s New Script “Terps” Helmet and Vintage Uniform Combination 

The Terps are going back to their roots.

Maryland announced that it will rock the script “Terps” on the helmet, a vintage look that will now be the school’s primary helmet for games this fall. Maryland has been utilizing a state flag motif as its primary helmet theme for years, but the script look that was first introduced by coach Bobby Ross in 1982 will return as the primary helmet this fall.

Expect unique uniform combinations with red-and-white jerseys from the Under Armour program this fall, but the helmets will feature a clean, simplistic look that should be a fan favorite.

6. Ohio State’s Gray Alternate Uniform

Ohio State will wear all-gray alternate uniforms against Michigan State on Nov. 11 in Columbus. The traditional grey Buckeye helmet will be coupled with a grey jersey and grey pants, accented with red numbers, and red, white and black stripes on the shoulders. 

Ohio State will also wear grey gloves with the Buckeye emblems on the palm, making for a unique combination to a classic jersey set.

7. Cincinnati’s New Nike All-Black Uniform

It’s a new era for Cincinnati football.

The school left the American Athletic Conference for the Big 12 and switched uniform suppliers in the process, as the Bearcats signed a deal with Nike and moved on from Under Armour.

The all-black jerseys for Cincinnati aren’t new, but the accents and details of the Nike uniforms are slightly different from the ones the Bearcats wore as an Under Armour school. The pants now will be solid black, instead of having red and white stripes, and there will be a red stripe around the underarm of the jersey, instead of being all black.

8. Tennessee’s All-Black Alternate Uniform

Tennessee first wore all-black alternate uniforms last season in a home game against Kentucky, and the look was such a hit that the Vols now will wear it on “a more regular basis moving forward,” according to 247Sports.

The all-black jerseys and pants, which feature orange numbering and lettering, put a new spin on a uniform combination that has been traditionally simple.

9. Mississippi State’s Script “State” Helmets and Uniform Combination

Mississippi State dropped a new uniform look at SEC media days in July, revealing a throwback “State” script on their helmets to go along with their standard uniform combination of maroon and white. The numbers and lettering on the jerseys also have been updated to fit a more simplistic look.

The Bulldogs also will sport an all-maroon alternate uniform at some point this fall for jerseys, pants and helmets.

10. UAB’s New AAC Uniform Combinations

Alabama-Birmingham is playing in the American Athletic Conference for the first time in ’23, and as such, the Blazers unveiled new uniform combinations for the upcoming year.

UAB will rock its standard gold and green combinations with the exception of a gray-and-black alternate uniform, which sports lime green and white accents. The new uniform combinations are a perfect way to begin play in a new conference.

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