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Powder blue and white with navy accents.
Michael Jordan perfected the color scheme on the basketball court in Chapel Hill in the 80s, eventually becoming the face of Nike. And in football, the Tar Heels’ powder helmets with powder tops and white pants is one of the cleanest combinations on the gridiron.
With heightened success in recent years, UNC took a page from Oregon’s playbook with Nike’s LiquidMetal helmets in 2012, revealing the navy blue mirrored look with a revised, alternate “Footprint” logo against N.C. State. Paired with alternate navy tops and navy pants, the noise created by UNC’s get up was quite high. The Tar Heels have yet to wear the navy top-blue pants combo, but it’s coming.
The Tar Heels brought back their interlocking “UNC” logo in 1995 after nearly a two-decade hiatus. From 1963-66, UNC donned white helmets with the familiar decal but has worn powder blue shells since. Two white alternate helmets were added in 2012, one with a white facemask and the other navy. A an exclusive “Stars and Stripes” UNC decal was placed on powder blue shells for a home game against Idaho the same season.
The late 90s Nike pants had flavor, white at home with navy-powder triple-striped legs. The drop-shadow white numerals with navy accents on the powder blue jerseys were a nice touch.
Like most coaches, UNC’s Larry Fedora uses his team’s new looks during the flashy apparel era as a recruiting tool. Most Saturdays though, the Tar Heels are seen wearing their familiar powder tops with white pants.
