RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Sentiment good. Execution bad.
That said…. I would argue that THIS was the worst helmet of my lifetime.
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Illinois Football Uniforms
That said…. I would argue that THIS was the worst helmet of my lifetime.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
This was like the Microsoft Paint design. So little thought and even less effort. And the lamest I ever.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
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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lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
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.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I like it overall, but I would need at least one #BPOTR game each year!
To each his own. ILLINOIS version is my least favorite.
Arched Illini, white letters with blue outline. No need to overthink this one, make it permanent - it runs laps around the rest
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
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.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
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.
and yet I’ll still be surprised if anything changes from our current status quo
And no one will ever ask them! Werner is on the record for hating to talk about uniforms.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Booooo
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
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.
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.
TheFlyingIllini1317
- Chicago, IL
Hopefully for Oregon we get the Arched helmet from Maryland last year. Would like MSU and Iowa to be ILLINOISAnyone 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.
It is so obviously apparent how much better that helmet is than the Block I helmet.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I never really thought about this in the past, but I totally agree with the point that some posters here have made (maybe @mattcoldagelli ?) that a tall / skinny logo looks SO much worse on a helmet than a short / wide logo. And all of our options besides the Block I - whether Script, Arched ILLINI, Slant ILLINOIS or even the Butkus Era star design - are at least as wide as they are tall ... and then the Block I just looks so weird and out of place.
Like, if a buddy and I were having a beer at a bar and he put me on the spot and asked what are some (non-Illini) college football helmets I liked, I'd probably blurt out these without much time to think:
Only Iowa and Washington use JUST the primary logo, and only Washington uses just a block letter ... but all of these are so much wider than the Block I. It just looks strange and goofy to me to have this tall skinny object in the middle of a football helmet, haha, like it's accidentally perpendicular to what the natural design should be.
I think our block I is too tall. If it was decreased to 75% of what it is now it would look better. Also if it had a circle around it like we use to have with our Illini logos that would be even better.I never really thought about this in the past, but I totally agree with the point that some posters here have made (maybe @mattcoldagelli ?) that a tall / skinny logo looks SO much worse on a helmet than a short / wide logo. And all of our options besides the Block I - whether Script, Arched ILLINI, Slant ILLINOIS or even the Butkus Era star design - are at least as wide as they are tall ... and then the Block I just looks so weird and out of place.
Like, if a buddy and I were having a beer at a bar and he put me on the spot and asked what are some (non-Illini) college football helmets I liked, I'd probably blurt out these without much time to think:
Only Iowa and Washington use JUST the primary logo, and only Washington uses just a block letter ... but all of these are so much wider than the Block I. It just looks strange and goofy to me to have this tall skinny object in the middle of a football helmet, haha, like it's accidentally perpendicular to what the natural design should be.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
One of the things that made me so pro-Shield was that it gave us something with some width that could be used in more places. That's not like, just a nice-to-have, you know? We're an athletic department. We know the types of things we will need to use logos and typefaces on, it's not a mystery. Something needs to work on a helmet, at center court, in the end zone, on a t-shirt, on a bumper sticker, etc.
There are very few places that are a good fit for a standalone capital I. Really think about it - where on any of our uniforms does the Block I really "hit"? I can really only think of one place (maybe someone has some other suggestions):
That's a great use. I'm glad we have it to put there. But I'm way happier that we stumbled backwards into the Script, which works in so many more places.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I feel about our uniforms the way I feel about the program in general, mostly just awe at how much better things are than they used to be.
I mean my god, we had the Lovie-era over-rotated block I's with the wrong border color for YEARS
I mean my god, we had the Lovie-era over-rotated block I's with the wrong border color for YEARS
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
All of the Lovie Era uniform combos were just awful, but the all-orange look - without a hint of white outline ANYWHERE to add an ounce of style - is actually hilarious looking back.
It's even funnier that we actually took the time to INCLUDE an outline around the navy Block I ... but that outline was (A) the same color as the helmet itself but (B) a different shade of that color.
Like, what is this?!?!