Ivy League
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| BROWN | COLUMBIA | CORNELL |
| "Bears" | "Lions" | "Big Red" |
| Providence, RI | New York, NY | Ithaca, NY |
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|---|---|---|
| DARTMOUTH | HARVARD | PENNSYLVANIA |
| "Big Green" | "Crimson" | "Quakers" |
| Hanover, NH | Cambridge, MA | Philadelphia, PA |
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|---|---|
| PRINCETON | YALE |
| "Tigers" | "Bulldogs" |
| Princeton, NJ | New Haven, CT |
Comments
Columbia and Penn were using new helmet designs for the 2007 season (shown above).
Historical Helmets
BROWN
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| c.early 1960s | c.late 1960s - 1971 | 1972 |
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| 1973 - 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
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| 1980 | 1981 - 1983 | 1984 - 1989 |
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| 1990 | 1991 - 1993 | 1994 - 1996 |
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| 2001 - 2003 | 1997 - 2000; 2004 - |
There are three other known historical helmets for Brown used during the period covered by this web site; photographs of two of these appeare below:
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The first photograph shows a helmet design used during the early 1960s (the photo is from 1962). It has been reported to me that the helmet shells were brown at this time, and that the stripes and numerals on the helmet were white. I would appreciate a clearer photograph of this design (especially one that shows the numerals on the side of the helmet clearly).
The second photograph is from 1972; it shows what is apparently a "bear face" decal, possibly superimposed atop a "B". I would appreciate a clearer photograph of this helmet as well as a copy of the artwork appearing on the decal. It has been reported to me that the team was still using gold helmet shells in 1972.
The 1990 Brown helmet featured a brown shell and the word "BROWN" in white letters which may have had red outlines. The logo was similar to the one used in 1979 and 1980. I will need a clear photograph of the 1990 helmet in order to add this one to the web site.
COLUMBIA
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| ? - 1970 | 1977 | 1971 - 1976; 1978 - 1979 |
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| ? - 1984 | c.late 1980s - 1997 | 1998 - 2002 |
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| October 18, 2003 | 2003 - 2005 | 2006 |
| *see note 1 below |
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| 2007 - |
Through most of the 1960s, Columbia used white helmets with a single light blue stripe, and with uniform numerals on the sides of the helmet in some dark color (probably black or blue). The numerals were discarded by at least 1970.
After using white helmets throughout the 1960s and 1970s (I think), Columbia switched to light blue helmets in 1980. A white "C" logo was worn on the sides, and there was also a sequence of five stripes on this design (dark blue/white/light blue/white/dark blue). I do not yet know what color the facemasks were in 1980. The design was modified slightly in 1981 by the addition of a lion decal, apparently similar to the one used during the 1970s; the lion was placed between the "C" decal and the front of the helmet, resulting in the odd-looking design shown in the photograph here. .
Beginning in 1985, Columbia used light blue helmets with the university's seal inside a white oval shape worn on the sides; again, I need some clear photographs of this design in order to add this one to the web site.
*1 This special design was worn during the 2003 home game against Penn, and was intended to resemble the helmets worn by the 1961 Columbia team which won the Ivy League championship that year.
CORNELL
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| ? - 1966 | 1967 - 1975 | 1976 |
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| 1978 - 1982 | ? - 2001 | 1983 - ?; 2002 - |
| *see note 1 below |
I do not have much information for Cornell from the early 1960s, other than that the team apparently used white helmet shells during these years before switching to red in 1967. The first helmet shown above was in use around 1966.
*1 The 1977 helmet design was a variation of this one - below is a photograph of the 1977 version. I would appreciate a clearer photograph than this one.
DARTMOUTH
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| 1965 - 1982 | 1987 - 1998 | (1983 - 1986)?; 1999 - 2005 |
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| 2006 - |
During the early 1960s, Dartmouth was using white helmet shells with three stripes (green/white/green) and with uniform numerals of some unknown color (probably green or black) on the sides of the helmets.
Dartmouth's helmets from 1983 through 1986 were similar to the present helmet design, but I am not sure about the facemask color during those years (they were some dark color, probably either green or black).
HARVARD
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| c.1950s - 1960 | 1961 - 1963 | 1964 - 1971 |
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| 1972 - 1973 | 1974 | 1982 - 1993 |
| *see note 1 below |
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| 1994 - 2003 | 2004 - |
*1 The text surrounding the "H" on the decal on this helmet reads: "1874-1974 THE REAL FOOTBALL CENTENNIAL"; I believe this is in reference to a claim by Harvard to have participated in the first "real" football game in 1874. The logo was apparently actually worn only on the right sides of the helmets, with the left sides left "blank".
PENNSYLVANIA
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| c.1970 - 1978 | 1981 - 1991 | 1992 - 2003 |
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| 2003 | 2004 - 2006 | 2007 - |
I have never had a good copy of the 1992 - 2003 Penn helmet logo; if somebody could please send me a copy of it, I would like to improve upon the representation of this helmet shown above.
I do not have much information for Penn from the 1960s yet.
PRINCETON
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| ? - 1968 | 1970 - 1972 | 1974 |
| *see note 1 below |
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| 1975 - 1977 | 1978 | 1979 - 1980 |
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| 1981 - 1983 | 1984 - 1997 | 1998 - present |
| *see note 2 below |
*1 This design was in use by at least 1961, and probably much earlier. The 1969 helmet was similar to this one, but a special decal was worn on the sides - a football-shape containing the numerals "100", in recognition of the centennial of the first college football game, played between Princeton and Rutgers on November 6, 1869.
*2 The current Princeton helmet is patterned after the design which originated at Princeton but is most often associated with its 60-plus year run at Michigan. Princeton Coach "Fritz" Crisler is credited with designing the "winged" helmet in 1935 with the intention of helping his quarterbacks detect their receivers downfield; most teams' helmets were bland and indistinguishable at that time, and Crisler's design was one of the first to bear some distinction. The triangular shapes are said to represent the folded-back ears of a tiger, while the three stripes imitate those on the animal's body. Although these features are purely ornamental on modern helmets, they coincided with physical features of the helmet during the 1930s. Crisler took the design with him to Michigan in 1938, and, as I understand it, Princeton ceased to use it at that same time. The design was resurrected in modern form for the 1998 season at Princeton.
YALE
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| c.late 1950s - 1963 | 1972 | 1973 |
| *see note 1 below | *see note 2 below | *see note 2 below |
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| 1978 | 1966 - 1968; 1970 - 1971; 1974 - 1977; 1979 |
1980 - 1996 |
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| 1997 - |
In 1964 only, Yale used a small blue and white "bulldog head" decal, which is vaguely visible in the photograph here. I would appreciate any clear side-view photographs of this helmet, as well as a copy of the helmet logo itself. This is apparently the only helmet logo Yale has ever used aside from the various "Y" versions, and the decal used in 1969.
In 1969, Yale used a version of the "100" decal that many teams used that year. Yale's version was worn at the front of the helmet, rather than on the sides.
*1 In 1962 only, additional stripes were added to some players' helmets (or perhaps to all of them); the stripes were worn on either side of the middle blue stripe, and were colored according to each player's role on the team: green for the offensive unit, red for the defense, and yellow for "all-purpose" players. A Yale game program from this era lists a set of nicknames for these three units: "Commandos", "Apaches", and "Bulldogs", respectively.
*2 The "100" decal worn in 1972 recognized the centennial of football at Yale; it was replaced with a "101" the following year.
