Gulf South Conference


CHOWAN DELTA STATE MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
"Hawks" "Statesmen" "Choctaws"
Murfreesboro, NC Cleveland, MS Clinton, MS
NORTH GREENVILLE SHORTER VALDOSTA STATE
"Crusaders" "Hawks" "Blazers"
Tigerville, SC Rome, GA Valdosta, GA
WEST ALABAMA WEST FLORIDA WEST GEORGIA
"Tigers" "Argonauts" "Wolves"
Livingston, AL Pensacola, FL Carrollton, GA

Chowan is a new member of this conference for the 2023 season.


Historical Helmets

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY

? - 2003 2004 - 2005 2006 - 2007
2008 - 2012 2013 2014 - 2019
*see note 1 below
2021 2023 (first 2 games) 2022 -
*see note 2 below *see note 3 below

In 2006 and 2007 this team used blue helmets with a logo consisting of the letters "CU" in white (photograph below). I would appreciate any clearer photographs of this design.

Chowan College was a junior college prior to 1992; a football team had existed at least as early as 1960. 1993 was apparently the first year the football team played a schedule against 4-year college opponents. In 2006 the school became Chowan University and the team nickname was changed from "Braves" to "Hawks".

*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is the same "C"/"hawk head" logo which was worn in previous years (though possibly a somewhat larger version than was used previously).

*2 The 'Hawks' logo is worn on the left side only of this design; a different logo is present on the right side (as depicted below).

*3 In 2022 the 'Hawks' logo was worn on both sides of this design; in 2023 a different logo was present on the right side (as depicted below).


DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY

1960 1961 1962 - 1963
1965 1966 1964; 1967
1968 1969 1970
1972 - 1976 1971; 1977 1978
1979? - 1981 1983 1984 - 1985
1982; 1986 1987 1988 - 1998
1999 - 2008? 2009 only? 2010 - 2011
'B' 'C'
2012 2014 - 2017 2015
*see note 1 below
'D' 'A' 'E'
2016 2013 - 2018 2018
'F' 'G'
2019; 2021 2022 -

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

*1 DSU used a special helmet logo during the team's 2015 home game vs Kentucky Wesleyan in memory of Dr Ethan Schmidt, a Professor at the university who was murdered in his campus office on September 14, 2015.


MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

1960 c.1961 - c.1968 1969
1971 1972 1973 - 1976
1977 - ? ? - 2003 2004 - 2005
2006 - 2013 2014 - 2019 2020*
2021 2023 -

Mississippi College has used an "arrowhead" helmet logo most years since the early 1970s. Prior to then white helmets were used through the greater portion of the 1960s; these had dark uniform numerals and a stripe most years (no color photographs have been located). A few more interesting designs were used between those two periods; below are photographs of these:

The college football centennial "100" logo was used in 1969 (probably a blue football shape like the one used by most teams). I have located a copy of the artwork for the 1971 design, but no color photographs of this design have been found. The 1972 helmet has a small "arrowhead" which I think was probably yellow or gold rather than white, but again no clear photographs have been located.

Photographs in Mississippi College's 1961 yearbook suggest that the 1960 design was either plain gold or silver, possibly with a white stripe.


NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY

? - 2000? 2001? - 2002 2003
2004 - 2008 2009 2010 - 2011
2012 - 2014 2015 - 2019 -

SHORTER UNIVERSITY

2005 - 2009 2013 October 2, 2014 -
end of 2014
*see note 1 below
September 4, 2014 -
September 20, 2014;
2015 -
2010 - 2012; 2016 - 2018 -
2022 -

2005 was the first season for the Shorter football team.

*1 The logo on this design commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Shorter football team. The lettering within the logo reads "SHORTER HAWKS FOOTBALL / TEN YEARS" and "2005 / 2014". The anniversary logo was worn only on the left side of each helmet, while the same "hawk head" logo as was used in 2013 was worn on the right side.


VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

1982 1983 1984
1985 1986 1987 - 1991
1997 - 1999 1992 - 1996;
2000 - 2003
2004
2005 2006 2007 - 2009
2010 - 2017 2018 -

VSU's football team first played in 1982 and the above are, to the best of my knowledge, all of the helmet designs used thus far.


UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA

c.1975 ? - 2000? 2001? - 2003
2004 - 2006 2007 - 2011 2012 -
October 3, 2015
October 10, 2015 -

This school was known as Livingston University prior to 1995, hence the "LU" logo on the earliest helmet shown above.


UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

'A' 'B' 'C'
2016; 2018 - 2017 - 2018 2019 -
'D' 'E' 'F'
2022 - 2022 - 2023 -
*see note 1 below

UWF played its first season of football in 2016; the following sequences of helmet designs have been used:

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


UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA

1985 1981 - 1984; 1986 - c.1993 ? - 2002
*see note 1 below
2003 - 2004 2005 2006
2007 - 2008 2009 - 2013 2014 - 2017
2018 - 2019; 2021 2022 -

The first West Georgia football team played in 1981 and the team nickname was "Braves" prior to the 2006 football season.

*1 This design was in use by at least 1994.