Back to the College Football Uniforms
Wine and Gold. Garnet and Gold. Crimson and Gold. Whatever the true “red” is for Florida State (depending on your viewing angle), the metallic speckled domes with a tomahawk remain an iconic staple of Seminole — and college — football. In fact, Florida State has the ACC’s oldest helmet without a switch, donning its current look since 1976. Why alter one of the classic looks?
Florida State wore a Pro Combat style all-black “Unconquered” uniform in Nov. 2009 against Maryland to “honor Chief Osceola, whose leadership during the second Seminole war made him an enduring symbol for FSU athletics.” The black helmet with a forward-facing tomahawk looked deadly to go along with its black top and black pants trimmed in garnet.
You’d have to go back to 1975 to find a season with as many varying headdress as the Seminoles sported three different looks over 11 games.
One helmet was a gold shell with a garnet stripe. A slight variation later on that season included an “FSU” wordmark. Over the last eight games of 1975, the Seminoles donned a gold shell with a Chief Osceola stamp plastered across a state of Florida decal.
Florida State has a wide range of combinations to choose from, but still goes with the garnet top, gold pants style at Doak Campbell. On the road, the Seminoles allow for a little more flexibility and decide between three pants styles — gold, garnet and white — to compliment the white jerseys.
Florida State was one of five schools Nike targeted in the early 90s to “dominate” its brand. In 1996, the Seminoles’ current tribal print along the sleeves and neckline made its debut and remains a violently cool look. Florida State remains one of Nike’s leaders in apparel sales.
