Ranking of the 18 uniforms worn by BYU football during the independence era

By Tamika R. Gies Last updated Apr 5, 2022

Historically, the BYU football program has not been known for its flashy uniforms. Especially not to the extent of Oregon, Maryland or Oklahoma State. However, BYU has a classic look that’s recognized across the country, and the Cougars have added some variety to their classic jerseys in recent seasons.

BYU introduced three new uniform combinations in 2019, one new combination in 2020, and seven more combinations in 2021. Overall, BYU has played in 18 different uniforms as an independent team, excluding variations of different face mask colors. With BYU wrapping up spring camp last week and football still 151 days away, I’m ranking all 18.

BYU Uniform Rankings

18 Midnight Virgil

The only replay combo of the 2021 season. BYU wore this combo on Seniors night against Idaho State and again in the bowl game against UAB. That doesn’t look bad, especially compared to some uniforms around the country. However, I put it last because I don’t think it looks like BYU. Brand name and recognition is very important to BYU, and if I were a casual college football fan who turns on the TV, I might need to check the name on the scoreboard to know which navy team I’m watching.

One of the uniforms has to take the last seat – we apologize in advance to our readers who love this combination!

17. All Navy

Many fans were excited for BYU to introduce this uniform. Maybe it’s my personal bias against monochromatic uniforms, memories of lost seasons under Gary Crowton, or maybe my ranking was affected by a disappointing game against an average Boise State team. Either way, this was one of my least favorite looks of the 2021 season. My take on this uniform is similar to the Midnight Virgil in that it doesn’t look bad but feels further from BYU’s identity.

16. Blackout (2016, 2020)

This could be a controversial ranking. I’m not into the blackout uniforms like most BYU fans are. I see them as a solid alternative look that recruits like.

15. Blackout (2012)

byu-football-blackout-uniform-2012 — Las Vegas Review Journal

In my opinion, these blackout kits are essentially the same as those worn in 2016 and 2020. The only difference between the 2012 version and the 2016 version is the color of the stickers on the helmet. When BYU brought back the blackout uniforms, they intended to bring back the 2012 decals as well. However, for logistical reasons, BYU put the royal decal on the helmet instead.

Why is the 2012 version ranked before the 2016 version? I’m giving 2012 a slight edge because of the timing. During this time, many teams around the country held an annual Blackout game. The 2012 version gets some bonus points for being part of the nationwide blackout trend.

14. Navy blue home with navy blue pants

BYU has worn this combo only once in the Independence era – in 2020 against Texas State. Before BYU introduced two new helmets last season, this combo was used to add some variety to BYU’s uniform rotation.

13. Royal Rush

The first royal combination on our list. BYU wore the “Royal Rush” look for the first time against Arizona. This uniform showed up on TV and looked great as fans in the stands wore Royal. However, I didn’t like this monochromatic color as much as some fans did.

I’ll be ready to reconsider that ranking if BYU moves from a matte finish on the helmet to a polished finish, which is what Billy Nixon hinted at on Twitter. Some BYU recruits on visits have worn the polished royal helmets at photo shoots.

12. Navy classic home

Although these jerseys are way down the list, they look great and outperform most college uniforms in college football. All BYU fans should be thankful for these uniforms. If it weren’t for them, BYU could wear gold on their jerseys.

11. Navy all white

The #11 ranking of these uniforms says more about the upcoming uniforms than this uniform itself. I like all white jerseys with navy trim, but I prefer other jerseys more. For the record, I like these shirts better when worn outside of Lavell Edwards Stadium.

10. Royal Oreo

In the 2021 regular season finals against USC, BYU wore the royal away kits with royal helmets to cap a 5-0 finish against the PAC-12. This look is also known as “Royal Oreo”.

9. Navy blue with navy blue accents

BYU debuted this combination against Baylor. Of the new Navy combos, this was my favorite. It is also the favorite of some players (see video above).

8. 2019 review

This is one of three new uniforms introduced by BYU in 2019. They looked great and were a fun change of pace, but it will be almost impossible to separate them from the 45-19 loss to Washington and the loss of Ty’Son Williams (which likely cost the Cougars a few wins in 2019) for the season.

7. Royal Sitake

Isaiah Herron Georgia Southern — Credit: BYU Photo

The combo was named “Royal Sitake” after the street uniform head coach Kalani Sitake wore while playing at BYU. The “Sitake” is the same combination except with navy blue accents. This was a great look, but it faced stiff competition and didn’t make the top 5.

6. Virgil

This combo paid homage to the 1966 BYU football team and then-quarterback Virgil Carter. BYU spoiled Bronco Mendenhall’s return to Provo in those uniforms and looked good doing it. Of the new combinations introduced by BYU 2021, this was my personal favorite.

5. Royalty with royal trousers

The royal on royal look with the white helmets is one of my favorite combinations. It’s a good way to add variety while sticking to the BYU brand. These uniforms look a lot better when they don’t blend in with the Smurf lawn (if you look at the Idaho Potato Bowl).

4. Navy Classics away

They say absence makes the heart beat faster. These uniforms were not part of the 2021 rotation, and their absence from the rotation made this writer’s heart skip a beat. These uniforms were intended to be used for an important street game each season. Those uniforms never looked better than when BYU beat Michigan State on the road or when the Cougars won a miracle over Tennessee.

3. All white with royal accents

D'Angelo Mandell BYU vs. Arizona State Whiteout

One of BYU’s best looks. The Cougars wore this combo once in 2021 in a home win over #19 Arizona State.

2. Classic king away game

Tyler Allgeier vs. Utah State in a royal classic away

The downside to wearing different uniforms each week is that BYU doesn’t get to wear their best looks as often. This uniform is nearing uniform perfection and should be worn at least 2-3 times per season.

1. Classic royalty

These jerseys deserve credit for bringing royal blue back to BYU football. The tradition and meaning behind these jerseys make them over the top.

Balance between diversity and tradition

BYU has more consistent combinations than ever before. Having spoken to various recruits and observed the unified evolution of BYU over the past few years, I believe that diversity is good but should be used wisely. Consistent variety is fun, but consistency and brand awareness should be an important part of the selection criteria. Recruits want variety and tradition, and in practice the two things may not go hand in hand. For the most part, BYU’s alternate uniforms remain under the BYU brand. However, I think it would benefit the BYU brand to wear their classic looks more than once per season.

For example, if you turn on the TV to see Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State, or Oklahoma, you know what you’re going to get. These schools have classic looks that will never go away. But all of these schools have used alternate uniforms and subtle tweaks to add some variety to the mix in recent years. For example, this Oklahoma alternate uniform has become a staple of the Sooners’ uniform rotation.

Michigan has added some variety to its traditional look by replacing blue pants with the classic yellow pants. The Wolverines wore this combo against Ohio State and in the College Football Playoffs against Georgia.

When you think of the state of Ohio, you don’t think of uniform diversity. However, even the Buckeyes have thrown in a few alternate uniforms over the years. Last year, the Buckeyes faced Penn State in an all-red look.

These schools are good examples of teams that have maintained their strong brand and heritage while adding some variety. In my opinion, some schools have taken uniform diversity a little too far. Oregon is an obvious example, although Ducks might be the exception as they’ve built an entire brand around uniform strains. But take the state of Oklahoma. The Cowboys have used so many combinations over the years that most college football fans probably wouldn’t be able to remember their home and away jerseys. Here are a few uniforms worn by the state of Oklahoma this season.

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Because BYU has four different helmets, it has as much variety at its disposal as the state of Oklahoma. But in my opinion, the cougars are even more at risk of losing their identity since they use two shades of blue. Regardless of the combination, the state of Oklahoma can be identified by its unique colors. BYU probably can’t say the same since its colors are more common and the shade of blue goes back and forth from royal to navy.

Therefore, the BYU should use varieties more sparingly than the state of Oklahoma. How would that look? In a perfect world, I think BYU’s unified rotation might look something like this:

Classic Royal Home Kits (3-4 Matches)
Classic Royal Away Kits (3-4 Matches)
Classic Navy Home Shirts (1-2 games)
Classic Navy Away Shirts (1-2 games)
Alternative home combination (1-2 games)
Alternative away combination (1-2 games)

With a consistent schedule like the one outlined above, BYU could bring in a more consistent diversity than most schools and continue to build on its heritage and identity. Thanks for listening to my TED talk, I mean thanks for reading.

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