Back to the College Football Uniforms
Michael Vick catapulted Frank Beamer’s program into the national spotlight and BCS Championship Game in 1999 and now, Virginia Tech football is synonymous with sustained success and cutting-edge uniform design.
Maroon and orange remain apparel staples, but black and white have been mixed in ad nauseam during Nike’s “uniform era” in recent years.
In 2010, the Hokies launched Nike’s digital camo Pro Combat uniform in a nationally-televised opener against Boise State, an all-black get up with matte black shells and orange accents. Later that season, Va. Tech donned white helmets for only the third time since 1977.
Since 1999, the Hokies have worn roughly 15 different helmet styles with varying logos. The most outlandish appeared to come in September 2012 when Va. Tech went with orange-striped white shells decorated with “Turkey Feet” decals. That was topped a few months later during the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando when the Hokies came out in a matte maroon shells disguised with giant orange turkey logos. The most common helmet over the last decade has been its traditional maroon shell with a white “VT” logo outlined in orange.
Va. Tech’s current swoosh contract has brought uniformity — no pun intended — to the Hokies’ on-field look. From 1990-99, Va. Tech football uniforms often changed since the Hokies had contracts with five different suppliers — Russell Athletic, SportsBelle, Wilson, Starter and Nike — over the decade. In 1994, for the first time in school history, the Hokies donned orange jerseys and pants against Virginia. Beamer vowed to never appear in that look again. The Hokies have worn orange jerseys and pants since, but never at the same time. In the 2010 Orange Bowl, Va. Tech wore orange helmets with a maroon “VT” decal for the first time ever.
The Hokies have showcased so many variations in recent years — from camouflage helmets to wide-striped jerseys and pants — it’s difficult to predict what Nike will bring out in the future.
Traditionally, sticking to the basic maroon, white and orange combination has made Va. Tech widely recognizable.
