Back to the College Football Uniforms
The University of South Carolina has stuck to its guns and true colors throughout its 121-year football history with slight variation. The Gamecocks have used three different helmet colors — white, garnet and black — since 1966 and the traditional Block C decal remains the most widely-recognized logo.
During the Lou Holtz years (1999-04), the Gamecocks often wore black pants and white jerseys with black numbers on the road. During Holtz’s last season, South Carolina ditched garnet as the primary color for black and donned black helmets throughout the season for the first time since 1974. South Carolina hasn’t worn the black helmets since ending Holtz’s final season with a brawl at Clemson.
The Gamecocks have worn several special ‘Wounded Warrior’ mock ups during the Steve Spurrier era, debuting an all-black digital Army camouflage look in 2009 against Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators.
Before a 2011 home game against Auburn, SEC officials determined that the numbers on South Carolina’s Wounded Warrior black jerseys were too difficult to read. The Gamecock warmed up in the sporty jerseys with inspirational phrases on the back then came back out before the opening kickoff in the school’s normal black alternate. In 2012 at LSU, South Carolina brought out a grey jersey, grey digital camo pants look under the lights in Baton Rouge. Spurrier vowed after a loss that particular combination, a nod to the ‘Battle-Wounded Warrior Project’, would never be worn again.
Under Spurrier, South Carolina has worn white shells throughout and the Gamecocks set a school record for single season wins in 2011 (11) then matched it last fall. These are the “glory years” in Columbia, so it’s time for Under Armour to bank off that with a return to black in the gameday attire. USC is currently on a six-year deal with the Maryland-based apparel giant. The contract runs out June 30, 2016.
The current fan favorite combination is the “fireant” look at home and in bowl games — white helmet, garnet top, garnet pants. Sporting all-garnet, the Gamecocks upset top-ranked Alabama in 2010 and took out fifth-ranked Georgia in 2012. They’ve won the Capital One and Outback Bowls the last two seasons in that look. South Carolina was one of the first schools in the country to join with Under Armour. The school announced on April 13, 2007 that it would follow Auburn, Maryland, and Texas Tech.
