Western Athletic Conference


IDAHO LOUISIANA TECH NEW MEXICO STATE
"Vandals" "Bulldogs" "Aggies"
Moscow, ID Ruston, LA Las Cruces, NM
SAN JOSE STATE TEXAS STATE UTAH STATE
"Spartans" "Bobcats" "Aggies"
San Jose, CA San Marcos, TX Logan, UT
UTSA
"Roadrunners"
San Antonio, TX

Comments

Texas State and UTSA are new members of both NCAA Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision and this conference in 2012, replacing Fresno State, Hawai'i, and Nevada, which have joined the Mountain West Conference.

Utah State has announced two new helmet designs to be used during the 2012 season; one of these is shown above. New designs have also been reported for Idaho and San Jose State (shown above).


Historical Helmets

IDAHO

? - 1964 1965 1965 - 1967
1968 - 1969 1969 1970
1971 - 1975 1976 - 1977 1978 - 1979
1980 1981 1982 - 1994
November 17, 2007 1995 - 2007;
November 13, 2010
October 31, 2009
*see note 1 below *see note 2 below
September 10, 2011 October 8, 2011 2008 -
*see note 3 below *see note 4 below
September 15, 2012 2012 -
*see note 5 below

Besides those depicted above, there are three other "known" helmet designs which have been used by Idaho since 1960; below are photographs of these:

The first two photographs show a helmet design which was used during the early portions of the 1965 season. The unusual decal apparently represents a "horn" or "wing" or hybrid thereof, as suggested by the fact that the cartoon logo on the "1971-1975" helmet depicts a bearded "vandal" wearing a helmet with horns that look like a bird's wings. The "horn" orientation is visible in the first photo, while some of the "feather" detail may be seen in the second photograph. These decals were apparently gold in color, and are identifiable in photographs from the games against Washington State, San Jose State, Utah State, and Oregon.

In 1969, Idaho used a version of the "100" logo, as may be seen in the two small color photographs. While it was reported to me previously that Idaho's version of the "100" logo was black with white numerals, these photographs appear to indicate that the football-shape was probably blue with white numerals that were outlined in red (which was apparently the most common version of the "100" decal in use in 1969). The "100" decals were reportedly not used during the last two games of the season.

Of greatest uncertainty is the helmet in the last photograph above. It was apparently used at some point in the 1970s, probably for a very short time, as this undated photograph is the only one I have received of this one. The helmet shell is probably silver, and the logo probably gold with a black outline. In January 2009 I received a report indicating that this design was in use during at least the game against Utah State in 1972.

*1 The 1995-2007 design was brought back for use during the home game against Boise State in 2010.

*2 This design was worn during a home game against Lousiana Tech in 2009.

*3 Worn during the 2011 home game against North Dakota.

*4 Worn during the 2011 home game against Louisiana Tech.

*5 Worn during the 2012 game at LSU.


LOUISIANA TECH

? - 1967 1969 1968 - c.early 1980s; c.1989
*see note 1 below
c.mid 1980s - 1988 c.early 1990s - 2006 2007
*see note 2 below
2008 -
*see note 3 below

Louisiana Tech's traditional state outline/"T" logo has apparently been used since 1968, making it one of the longest-running designs among the Division I-A colleges. There have been some minor adjustments to the shape of the state outline and perhaps to the "T" also during this period, but the basic design has not changed. The blue color forming the state outline was apparently changed from a somewhat lighter color to a darker one sometime around 1990.

*1 The "100" logo was worn only on the left sides of the Louisiana Tech helmets in 1969, with the state outline logo worn on the right sides.

*2 The earliest and latest seasons from which I have seen photographs showing stripes on the red helmet are 1985 and 1988, respectively.

*3 It was reported to me prior to the beginning of the 2012 season that Louisiana Tech would wear the numerals "22" on the right sides of each helmet in 2012 in honor of team member Tyrone Duplessis, who died on February 2, 2012; however, photographs from the team's first three games indicate that no such change has been made. The team is, however, wearing small decals at the rear of the helmet incorporating the number "22" into the traditional state outline logo.


NEW MEXICO STATE

1960 - 1965 1966 - 1968 1969
1970 - 1972 1973 1974 - 1977
1978 - 1982 1983 - 1985 1986
1987 - 1989 1990 - 1994 1995 - 2004
October 18, 2008 2005 - 2008 2009 -
*see note 1 below

*1 A pink "ribbon" logo was worn on NMSU's helmets (left sides only; the "Aggies" logo remained on the right sides) during the 2008 home game against San Jose State. A visitor to this web site sent me a link to an old article indicating that NMSU was apparently planning to use ribbon decals (in some form) during a home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2007 also, but photographic evidence suggests that the team did not actually do so (the "Aggies" decals are visible on both sides of the NMSU helmets in photos from this game; if any ribbon decal was worn on the helmets in 2007, it was apparently very small and worn at the back of the helmet, though I have seen no evidence to suggest that even something like this was used. The team did wear pink socks during this game). The article from 2007 stated that the pink ribbons were to be worn "in an effort to promote breast cancer awareness and raise money for research projects in New Mexico".


SAN JOSE STATE

c.1960s c.1967 - 1968 c.early 1970s
c.1974 - 1975 1976 - 1979 1980 - 1985
1986 1987 1988 - 1989
1990 - ? ? - 1999? 2000
2001 - 2005 2006 - 2009 2010 - 2011
2012 -

There are several other historical helmet designs for this team which I have not yet been able to add to the site due to insufficient information. Very few clear photographs have been received from the 1960s and early 1970s, and the dates of use for the various older helmets are highly uncertain. I also suspect that the team colors may have been substantially different during the 1960s. Additional information would be appreciated.

It seems that San Jose State used yellow helmets throughout the 1960s, at most times without any helmet logos, but occasionally with one, as may be seen in the first two photographs below. The logo (?) on the first helmet is unidentifiable, but the second one is an early "spartan helmet". The third photograph shows a design that was used during the early 1970s (at least during parts of the 1971 and 1972 seasons). I believe that this helmet was gold or silver in color rather than blue or yellow, and it featured another "spartan helmet" logo of unknown colors.

By at least 1974 the team had switched to blue helmets. These were "plain" (aside from stripes) for several years, but in 1980 the team began using a script "Spartans" logo which was used through 1985. The team made very frequent helmet design changes for several years thereafter. I have not yet been able to add the 1986 and 1987 designs to the site because I do not have the helmet logos used during these years (photos below). A "spartan head" logo was introduced in 1990 and used through 1999. It has been reported to me that a white outline was eventually added around the spartan - I would appreciate a clear photograph of the outlined version and information about when it was first used.


TEXAS STATE

? - 1972 1973 - 1982 1984 - 1989
1991 1990; 1992 - 1996 1997 - 2002
2003 2004 - 2007 2008 -

The name of this school was Southwest Texas State University prior to September 1, 2003.

The 1983 helmet was similar to the 1973-1982 one, but a narrow gold outline was present around the letters.


UTAH STATE

1955 - 1964;
1967 - 1969
1964 - 1967 1970 - 1972
1973 - 1975 1976 - ? ? - 1982?
1983? - 1990 1991 1992 - 1994
1995 - 2009 2010 - 2011 2012 -
2012 -

The above are the complete set of historical helmet designs for Utah State for the period covered by this web site (1960 to present), to the best of my knowledge.


UTSA

2011 -

2011 was the first football season for UTSA. The team competed as an NCAA Division I - Football Championship Subdivision independent in 2011.