The first CSU varsity football team played in 1991. The above are all of the "known" helmet designs used by the team with the exception of those used in the mid-1990s. In 1994 and 1995 the team used what were apparently navy blue helmets with a "CSU" logo on the sides (see photo below). The color of the logo is unknown but it was probably white or gold; the color of the three stripes on the helmet is also unknown. The 1996 - 1997 design was apparently identical but lacked the stripes.

*1 Design 'G' is "blank" on both sides; 'G1' is blank on the left side but has white uniform numerals (like those of design 'F') on the right side.

Return to top of page

EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

1969	1970 - 1974	1975

1976 - 1977	1978 - 1981?	1982? - ?

1990 - 1992	1993	1994

1995 - 1999	2000 - 2011	2012 - 2014

		'A'
2015 (1st four games)	2018 - 2020*	October 10, 2015 - 2017; 2021-

'B'
2023 -

In 2023 EIU used two of the above helmet designs in the following sequence: A-A-B; B-B-A; B-B-B; B-B

Return to top of page

GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

1970	1971 - 1972	1973 - 1974

1975 - 1976	1977	1978

1979 - ?	? - 1984	1985 - ?

1993	1998 - 1999	2000 - 2007

2008 - 2009	2010 - 2011	2012 - 2016

		'A'
2017 -	2020* - 2021	2022 -

'B'
2022 -

During recent years Gardner-Webb has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2023: B-B-B; B-B-B; A-A-A; A-A-A (the last game being an NCAA Division I-FCS playoff game at Mercer)
• 2022: A-B-B; B-B-A; B-A-A; A-A-A; A (the last two games being NCAA Division I-FCS playoff games at Eastern Kentucky and at William & Mary)

Return to top of page

LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY

c.early 1990s	? - 2000	2001
*see note 1 below

2002	2003	2004 - 2006

		'A'
2007 - 2009	2010 - 2011	2012 - 2015

'B'	'C'	'D'
2015	2015	2016
*see note 2 below	*see note 3 below	*see note 3 below

'E'	'F'	'G'
2016	2017 -	2017 -
*see note 2 below

'H'	'I'	'J'
2017 -	2018 -	2019 -

'K'	'L'	'M'
2021 -	2021 -	2021 -
	*see note 4 below

During recent years Lindenwood has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2023: L-K-L; K-K-M; M-L-K; M
• 2022: L-L-M; K-K-M; K-L-L; M
• 2021: K-L-K; M-L-L; M-M-K; K-K-M (the last game being an NCAA Division II playoff game at Grand Valley State)
• 2019: H-I-I; J-J-H; H-I-I; H-J-I; J (the last two games being NCAA Division II playoff games at Ouachita Baptist and at Northwest Missouri State)
• 2018: I-G-G; H-I-I; H-H-G; H-I
• 2017: F-G-H; H-G-G; F-H-F; H-G
• 2016: D-E-E; D-D-D; D-E-?; E-E
• 2015: A-B-C; C-C-B; C-C-C; B-B

*1 This design was in use during at least the period 1992 through 1995.

*2 Designs 'B' and 'E' both have uniform numbers on the left side only; on the right side is a large "lion head" logo (as represented below).

*3 Designs 'C' and 'D' both have uniform numbers on the left side only; on the right side is a large "lion head" logo (as represented below).

*4 The "LU" logo is worn on the left side only of this design; uniform numbers are worn on the right side (as represented below).

Return to top of page

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

? - 1961	1962 - 1963	1964 - ?

? - 1968	1969	1970 - ?

? - 1976	1977 - ?	? - 1979
	*see note 1 below

1980 - ?	? - 2002	2003

2004	2005 - 2012	September 6, 2014
		*see note 1 below

'C'	'A'	'B'
October 31, 2015; October 29, 2016; 2017	2013 -	2017 -

'D'	'E'
2018	2022 -
	*see note 2 below

During recent years Southeast Missouri State has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2023: A-E-A; A-A-E; A-A-A; A-E
• 2022: A-A-A; A-E-A; E-A-E; A-E-E (the last game being an FCS playoff game at Montana)
• 2021: A-A-A; B-A-A; A-A-B; A-A
• 2020*: B-B-A; A-A-A; A-A
• 2019: A-A-B; B-A-A; A-A-A; B-B-A; A (the last game being an FCS playoff game against Illinois State)
• 2018: A-A-B; B-A-B; D-B-A; A-B-A; B (the last two games being FCS playoff games vs Stony Brook and at Weber State)
• 2017: A-A-A; B-A-A; A-A-C; A-A

Prior to 1967 I think this team used black helmets, but color photographs from this period have been almost impossible to find and the true color is uncertain. These helmets were apparently "plain" some years, but one of the more interesting "known" early helmet logos was worn by this team in both 1962 and 1963; below are some photographs showing this elusive logo:

The logo is apparently an "Indian head" in profile; if any clearer photographs of this design are in existence I would greatly appreciate copies of them.

Southeast Missouri apparently did not use another helmet logo until either 1975 or 1976, when the first of at least three different short-lived logos was adopted. Below are photographs of the three known late 1970s SEMO helmet logos gathered from the university's yearbooks:

The first of these was apparently first used in either 1975 or 1976 and features a red "M" inside an outline of the state of Missouri, plus there is some unknown small feature atop the northern side of the state. The 1977 logo is similar, but appears to lack the mysterious small feature. In either 1978 or 1979 another new logo was used - the letter "M" inside a circle with "feathers" attached to the side of the circle. I would again greatly appreciate clearer photographs of any of these designs.

The team nickname was changed from "Indians" to "RedHawks" prior to the 2005 season.

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a large "hawk head" logo (as represented below).

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a "hawk head" logo (as represented below).

Return to top of page

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

c.1960s	c.late 1970s	c.1986

		'C'
? - 2009	October 23, 2010 - November 20, 2010	2010 (first seven games); 2011 - 2016
	*see note 1 below

'A'	'B'	'D'
2017 - 2018	2017 - 2019	2019

'E'	'F'	'G'
2020*	2021	2022
	*see note 2 below	*see note 2 below

'H'	'I'	'J'
2022	2022	2023 -
*see note 2 below	*see note 2 below	*see note 2 below

'K'	'L'
2023 -	2023 -

During recent years TSU has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2023: J-J-K; K-J-L; J-L-J; J-L
• 2022: G-H-G; I-I-H; G-I-H; G-G
• 2021: F (entire season)
• 2020*: E (entire season)
• 2019: C-C-C; B-C-C; C-B-C; D-C-C
• 2018: A-A-A; A-B-B; B-A-A
• 2017: A-A-A; A-B-B; B-A-A; A-B

*1 This design was used during TSU's last four games of the 2010 season (vs Tennessee Tech, vs Eastern Illinois, at Tennessee-Martin, at Murray State).

*2 The right side of each of these designs differs from the left as depicted below.

'F'	'G'	'H'

'I'	'J'	'K'

'L'

Return to top of page

TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

c.1950s - mid 1960s	c.1965	1968? - 1976

1977 - 1982	1983 - 1985	1986

1987 - 1988	1989 - 1992	1993

1994 - 1996	1997 - 2005	2006

	'E'	'A'
2007 - 2008	2009 - 2015	2013

'B'	'C'	'D'
2014 - 2015	2013 - 2015	2012; 2014

'F'	'G'	'H'
2016 - 2017	2016 - 2018	2018

'I'	'J'	'K'
2019 - 2020*	2019 - 2021	2022 -

'L'	'M'
2022 -	2023 -

During recent years Tennessee Tech has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2023: M (entire season)
• 2022: K-L-L; K-K-K; K-K-L; L-L
• 2021: J (entire season)
• 2020*: I-I-I; I-I-J; J
• 2019: I-I-I; I-I-I; I-I-I; J-I-I
• 2018: G-G-G; G-G-G; G-G-H; G-G
• 2017: F-G-G; F-F-G; F-G-F; F-G
• 2016: F-G-G; G-F-F; F-F-G; G-F
• 2015: E-C-B; E-B-B; E-E-C; E-E
• 2014: E-B-E; C-B-E; D-E-C; B-D-B
• 2013: C-A-E; C-E-A; A-E-C; A-C-A
• 2012: E-E-D; E-E-D; D-D-?; D-E

Return to top of page

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN

c.1980s	1987 - 1988	? - 1999?

2000? - 2002	2003 - 2004	2005
	*see note 1 below

2006	2007	2008 -

At some point during the late 1990s UT-Martin used white helmets with a decal of the team name "Skyhawks" on the sides; I would appreciate a clear photograph of one of these helmets. The team name was changed from "Pacers" to "Skyhawks" in 1995.

*1 The numerals on this helmet design were worn only on the left sides of the helmets during at least the 2004 season.

Return to top of page

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

1960 - 1962	1963	1964 - 1965

1966	1967	1968 - 1973

1974 - 1975	1976	1977 - 1978

1979	1980 - 1982	1990

1987 - 1989; 1991	1983 - 1986; 1992 - 1996	1997 - 2011

		'A'
2012 - 2014	October 31, 2015	2015 -

'B'	'C'
2018 -	2022 -
	*see note 1 below

During recent years WIU has used the following sequences of helmet designs:

• 2022 & 2023: C (all games)
• 2021: B-A-A; B-A-A; B-B-A; A-B
• 2020: B (entire season)
• 2019: A-A-A; A-B-B; B-A-B; B-A-B
• 2018: A-B-A; B-A-B; B-B-B; B-A

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; a logo is present on the right side (as depicted below).

Return to top of page