Illinois Football Uniforms

#51      
RabidDawgClassic
mhuml32 said:
Now that I've had a couple weeks of reflection, I'm thinking those 9/11 Illinois helmets are the worst in (at least) my lifetime, probably longer.
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Sentiment good. Execution bad.

That said…. I would argue that THIS was the worst helmet of my lifetime.

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#54      
Fighter of the Nightman
mattcoldagelli said:
I need answers on this. Do we have some sort of obligation to keep the Block I helmet in rotation? Why would we otherwise be operating this way?
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Lol, same. I feel like I can literally hear the conversation.

1) Dunning Kruger Effect middle manager person says, "Guys, we can't just wear our special or throwback helmets every game or they'll lose their appeal! Block I needs to remain the default, and we will work in the other ones for ~big games~ or other special occasions."

2) Actually sensible and capable intern points out that this is a really dumb and weird self-imposed limitation on simply looking our best all of the time. If we simply MAKE one of the throwback / "special" helmets our default, then there is no issue! They point out that countless iconic football programs from Michigan to Ohio State to Alabama to Notre Dame do not have their main primary logo on their helmets, so this is hardly some rule.

3) Middle manager gets subtly offended, subconsciously realizes the intern is right and nevertheless proceeds to double down and consider the matter closed.
 
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#55      
lstewart53x3
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Lol, same. I feel like I can literally hear the conversation.

1) Dunning Kruger Effect middle manager person says, "Guys, we can't just wear our special or throwback helmets every game or they'll lose their appeal! Block I needs to remain the default, and we will work in the other ones for ~big games~ or other special occasions."

2) Actually sensible and capable intern points out that this is a really dumb and weird self-imposed limitation on simply looking our best all of the time. If we simply MAKE one of the throwback / "special" helmets our default, then there is no issue! They point out that countless iconic football programs from Michigan to Ohio State to Alabama to Notre Dame do not have their main primary logo on their helmets, so this is hardly some rule.

3) Middle manager gets subtly offended, subconsciously realizes the intern is right and nevertheless proceeds to double down and consider the matter closed.
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Some might disagree (especially with the pants) but if I were running the uniform dept this is what I’d do:

1. Orange ILLINOIS helmets
2. Blue jerseys at home
3. Orange pants always (giving us O/B/O at home and O/W/O on the road).
4. The biggest game of the year (ideally a night game), orange jerseys (O/O/O with an orange out).
5. Break out the script Illinois helmet for the bowl game.
 
#56      
Fighter of the Nightman
lstewart53x3 said:
Some might disagree (especially with the pants) but if I were running the uniform dept this is what I’d do:

1. Orange ILLINOIS helmets
2. Blue jerseys at home
3. Orange pants always (giving us O/B/O at home and O/W/O on the road).
4. The biggest game of the year (ideally a night game), orange jerseys (O/O/O with an orange out).
5. Break out the script Illinois helmet for the bowl game.
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I like it overall, but I would need at least one #BPOTR game each year!
 
#57      
Illiniguy74
lstewart53x3 said:
Some might disagree (especially with the pants) but if I were running the uniform dept this is what I’d do:

1. Orange ILLINOIS helmets
2. Blue jerseys at home
3. Orange pants always (giving us O/B/O at home and O/W/O on the road).
4. The biggest game of the year (ideally a night game), orange jerseys (O/O/O with an orange out).
5. Break out the script Illinois helmet for the bowl game.
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To each his own. ILLINOIS version is my least favorite.
 
#59      
Fighter of the Nightman
Franklin Delano Bluth said:
Arched Illini, white letters with blue outline. No need to overthink this one, make it permanent - it runs laps around the rest
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I go back and forth, but I have to admit that when I see those old photos, this does seem to be the best candidate to establish a distinct brand identity. It's very unique, has actual history behind it and it looks cool.
 
#61      
Mr. Tibbs
mattcoldagelli said:
Pretty strong indictment of our “base” helmet logo that people in this thread can bat around 3-4 compelling options for our best one, none of which is the Block I.
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and yet I’ll still be surprised if anything changes from our current status quo
 
#65      
Fighter of the Nightman
Anyone think we get any combos we've never seen this year, or will it be pretty straight down the middle for the rest of the season? Lol. I believe this weekend's game is the "Orange Out," so we will definitely be getting O/O/O ... not sure on the helmet, but I'll bet it's Slant ILLINOIS.

As for my initial question, I feel like we have actually gotten less and less "experimental" since these new uniforms came out, at least excluding bowl games. We wore navy pants twice at home in 2023, once in 2024 and then we have not since. We also seem to (thankfully!) not really be rocking the white pants on the road as much anymore. If I had to guess from here on out:

EDIT: Apparently we are doing a "Hail to the BLUE Out" vs. Nebraska?? Amending my picks to have us wear the same uniforms as the Music City Bowl for that one.

vs. Purdue - O/O/O and Slant ILLINOIS
at Michigan State - O/W/O and Block I
vs. Oregon - O/B/O and some new flag-themed helmet (Military Appreciation Day)
at Maryland - O/W/O and Block I
vs. Nebraska - B/B/B and Navy Script ("Blue Out" game)
at UCLA - O/W/W and Block I (We'll refuse to let the white pants on the road die, lol...)
vs. Iowa - O/B/O and Orange Script
at Northwestern - O/W/O and Block I (some "business trip" nonsense or something to justify wearing our worst helmet because it's the "default" or whatever)

I'm pessimistic about seeing Arched Illini, and we haven't seen the Orange Script since the Indiana disaster, so even that is a possibly overly optimistic guess. Alas, yet another year with no #BPOTR. :cry:
 
#66      
TheFlyingIllini1317
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Anyone think we get any combos we've never seen this year, or will it be pretty straight down the middle for the rest of the season? Lol. I believe this weekend's game is the "Orange Out," so we will definitely be getting O/O/O ... not sure on the helmet, but I'll bet it's Slant ILLINOIS.

As for my initial question, I feel like we have actually gotten less and less "experimental" since these new uniforms came out, at least excluding bowl games. We wore navy pants twice at home in 2023, once in 2024 and then we have not since. We also seem to (thankfully!) not really be rocking the white pants on the road as much anymore. If I had to guess from here on out:

EDIT: Apparently we are doing a "Hail to the BLUE Out" vs. Nebraska?? Amending my picks to have us wear the same uniforms as the Music City Bowl for that one.

vs. Purdue - O/O/O and Slant ILLINOIS
at Michigan State - O/W/O and Block I
vs. Oregon - O/B/O and some new flag-themed helmet (Military Appreciation Day)
at Maryland - O/W/O and Block I
vs. Nebraska - B/B/B and Navy Script ("Blue Out" game)
at UCLA - O/W/W and Block I (We'll refuse to let the white pants on the road die, lol...)
vs. Iowa - O/B/O and Orange Script
at Northwestern - O/W/O and Block I (some "business trip" nonsense or something to justify wearing our worst helmet because it's the "default" or whatever)

I'm pessimistic about seeing Arched Illini, and we haven't seen the Orange Script since the Indiana disaster, so even that is a possibly overly optimistic guess. Alas, yet another year with no #BPOTR. :cry:
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Hopefully for Oregon we get the Arched helmet from Maryland last year. Would like MSU and Iowa to be ILLINOIS
 
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