Back to the College Football Uniforms
One of the SEC’s four elite flagship Nike schools, Florida’s highly-recognizable Orange and Blue has taken center stage over the last decade in several nationally prominent games featured across sports media.
Nike has souped up Florida’s look several times since the mid 2000′s, utilizing the Gators’ return to the nation’s elite under Urban Meyer as a platform to showcase cutting-edge materials and exposure. Twice during the Tim Tebow era, Florida sported an alternate white helmet with a throwback ‘F’ decal instead of the usual orange helmet with ‘Gators’ script. The helmet closely resembled head gear the Gators wore on gamedays in 1966. The revitalized white helmet may have looked the best during the 2009 SEC Championship Game against Alabama when the Gators donned white jerseys, white pants and white cleats as well.
In 2010, Florida was one of 10 Nike schools incorporated into Nike’s System of Dress campaign, a style of uniforms “engineered to provide superior protection and durability, while utilizing advanced fabrics and tooling to reduce weight.” Against Georgia in Jacksonville, the Gators wore the menacing “alligator-skin motif” and had gloves that detailed school spirit on the palms. Florida’s blue pants were defined by an orange stripe that faded into gator skin and the Pro Combat orange helmet was painted to mimic reptilian scales.
Florida’s uniforms have had subtle changes from the mid 1990s to now, but the orange helmet-blue jersey-white pants combo remains a Gainesville staple. During Florida’s rise to the top under Steve Spurrier, the blue jersey with white numbers traced in orange and the trademark gatorhead patch defined SEC dominance.
The Gators are rumored to have new, traditional-style Nike uniforms this fall — with head coach Will Muschamp’s blessing — that includes increased font sizes but the folks in Gainesville have yet to release official photos.
Florida has worn its current orange helmet with blue “Gators” script since 1979.
