Western Athletic Conference
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| ABILENE CHRISTIAN |
SAM HOUSTON STATE |
SOUTHERN UTAH |
| "Wildcats" |
"Bearkats" |
"Thunderbirds" |
| Abilene, TX |
Huntsville, TX |
Cedar City, UT |
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| STEPHEN F. AUSTIN |
TARLETON STATE |
UTAH TECH |
| "Lumberjacks" |
"Texans" |
"Trailblazers" |
| Nacogdoches, TX |
Stephenville, TX |
St. George, UT |
Historical Helmets
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
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| ? - 1960 |
1961 |
1962 - 1964 |
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| 1965 - 1966 |
1966 - 1967 |
1968 |
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| 1969 - 1978 |
1979 - 1984 |
1985 - 1986 |
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| 1987 - 1990 |
1991 - 1992 |
1993 - 1994 |
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'A' |
'B' |
| 2001 - 2012 |
2013 - 2017 |
2017 |
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| 'C' |
'D' |
| 2018 - |
2018 - |
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*see note 1 below |
During recent years Abilene Christian has used the following sequences of helmet designs:
- 2021: C-D-D; C-C-D; D-D-C; D-D
- 2020: C-D-C; C-C-D
- 2019: C-D-D; C-C-D; D-C-C; D-C-C
- 2018: C-C-C; D-C-C; D-D-C; D-C
- 2017: A-A-A; B-B-A; B-A-B; B-B
As for the "missing" Abilene Christian helmets:
- In 1960 the team used white helmets with dark uniform numerals on the sides, and with a dark/white/dark stripe sequence. In all probability the numerals and stripes were purple in color, but since the team did use red as a secondary color a few years later, perhaps red (and black, also) cannot be ruled out as possibilities.
- From 1962 through 1964 the helmets were white with a dark/white/dark stripe sequence, and at least sometimes with small uniform numerals at the front of the helmet, the two digits on either side of the central stripe. The clearest photographs which I have received from this period strongly imply that the dark stripes consisted of two adjacent colors, the inner color being slightly lighter than the outer portion. I would speculate that the inner stripes were red with the outer stripes being the expected purple color;
- From 1979 through 1984 ACU used white helmets with a "wildcat" logo on the sides; above the cat were the letters "ACU". There were several stripes on this design and the facemask color is unclear, but appears to be gray in the best available photograph;
- The 1995 helmet was purple with a diagonal "ACU" logo; I have no clear color photographs of this helmet but I suspect that the logo may have been black with a white outline, and that the middle stripe on the helmet may have been black;
- In 2000 the team used white helmets with an "ACU" / "wildcat" logo which is still used by the university. I have no color photographs from this season and it is unclear whether the logo was entirely purple and white, or if other colors may have been used to depict the cat.
Below are photographs of the missing helmets; additional information on these would be appreciated.
*1 Uniform numbers are worn on the left side only of this design; a logo is worn on the right side (as represented below).
SAM HOUSTON STATE
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| 1978; 1980 |
1981 |
1982 - 1985 |
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*see note 1 below |
*see note 2 below |
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| 1986 - 1988 |
1989 - 1993 |
1994 - 1996 |
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| 1997 (first 2 games) |
1997 (last 9 games) |
1998? - 2004 |
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'A' |
| 2005 (first game or two); 2010 |
2005 - 2009; 2011 - 2019 |
2020* - |
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| 'B' (and 'B1') |
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| 2021 - |
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| *see note 3 below |
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In 2021 SHSU used three different helmet designs in the following order: B-B-B1; B1-B1-A; A-A-A; A-A-A (the last two games being FCS playoff games vs Incarnate Word and vs Montana State).
I have not received any information about pre-1975 SHSU helmets. In 1979 the team used white helmets with a "bearkat head" logo (photo below); I would appreciate a clear color photograph of this design. It has been reported to me that not enough of these decals were ordered, and that towards the end of the season about half the team were using "blank" helmets.
I received some contradictory reports about the decals used by SHSU in 2010; apparently both the orange and white versions of the most recent helmet decal were used in 2010, occasionally at the same time by different players. Can anyone clarify how these were used in 2010? Did one version eventually supersede the other? The white version was apparently used by the entire team during the 2011 season.
*1 The logo shown on this design was actually worn only on the right sides of the helmets; the left sides were "blank".
*2 The 1982-1985 design has been described as being identical to the one shown as "1986-1988" with the exception that there was a blue stripe between the orange and white stripes on each side (in other words the stripe sequence was white-blue-orange-blue-white). I would appreciate a photograph from the 1982-1985 period which clearly shows the width of the blue stripe relative to the others.
*3 Design 'B' has the cartoon bearkat on both sides; 'B1' has the bearkat on the left side only, with the "SH" logo of design 'A' on the right side.
SOUTHERN UTAH
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| 1961 - ? |
1973 |
1976 - 1977 |
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| c.mid 1990s |
c.late 1990s |
? - 2000 |
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'B' |
| 2002 |
2003 - 2010 |
2014 - 2015 |
| *see note 1 below |
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| 'C' |
'A' |
'D' |
| 2015 |
2011 - 2014 |
2016 |
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| 'E' |
'F' |
'G' |
| 2016 |
2016 |
2016 |
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| 'H' |
'I' |
'J' |
| 2016 |
2017 - |
2017 - |
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| 'K' |
'L' |
'M' |
| 2017 - |
2017 - |
2021 - |
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During recent years SUU has used the following sequences of helmet designs:
- 2022: K-K-L; L-K-L; K-L-L; L-K
- 2021: K-K-L; L-M-I; I-N-J; K-K
- 2020*: K-L-L; K-K-K
- 2019: L-K-K; K-K-J; J-J-J; K-K-L
- 2018: I-I-K; L-L-K; K-L-L; J-I
- 2017: I-J-L; K-I-I; J-J-L; L-I-I (the last game being an FCS playoff game vs Weber State)
- 2016: E-E-F; F-F-F; G-H-H; H-H
- 2015: B-A-B; B-B-C; C-C-B; B-B
- 2014: A-A-A; A-A-B; B-B-A; A-A-B
*1 The logo shown on this helmet was actually worn only on the right sides of the helmets in 2002; on the left sides, white players' uniform numerals with black outlines were used. The 2001 helmet design was identical, except that the right side of the helmet was left "blank" (no bird head decals). I would appreciate a clear photograph showing the LEFT side of either the 2001 or 2002 SUU helmet design.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
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| 1958 - 1962 |
1963 - 1970 |
1971 |
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| 1972 - 1975 |
1976 |
1977 - 1981 |
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| 1982 - 1985 |
1986 - 1988 |
1989 - 1991 |
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'A' |
| 2002 |
1992 - 2001; 2003 - 2010 |
2011 - |
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*see note 1 below |
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| 'B' (and 'B1' & 'B2') |
'C' |
'D' |
| 2015; 2020 - |
2016 - |
2019 - |
| *see note 2 below |
*see note 3 below |
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| 'E' |
'F' |
'G' |
| 2019 - |
2020 - |
2020 - |
| *see note 4 below |
*see note 5 below |
*see note 6 below |
During recent years Stephen F. Austin has used the following sequences of helmet designs:
- 2021: B2-B2-B2; B2-D-D; B2-D-B2; D-B2-B2 (the last game being an FCS playoff game at Incarnate Word)
- 2020: B1-B2-F; F-F-B2; D-G-G; B2
- 2019: C-A-A; C-A-D; C-E-E; D-D-D
- 2018: C-A-A; A-C-A; A-A-A; C
- 2017: A-C-A; A-A-C; C-A-A; A-A
- 2016: C-A-A; A-A-C; A-A-A; C-C
- 2015: B-B-A; B-A-A; B-A-A; B-A
*1 Prior to 2015 this design had the SFA/Texas state outline logo on both sides; beginning in 2015 the logo was worn on the left side only; white uniform numerals were worn on the right side (as depicted below).
*2 Helmet design 'B' has uniform numbers on both sides; 'B1' has uniform numbers on the left side only with a logo adorning the right side (as represented below); 'B2' has uniform numbers on the left side only with the "SFA"/state outline logo (as shown on the left side of 'C' above) on the right side. .
*3 The logo is present on the left side only of this design; purple uniform numbers like those worn on both sides of design 'B' adorn the right side.
*4 The 'JACKS' logo is present on the left side only of this design; white uniform numbers are worn on the right side (so the appearance is like that of the right side of design 'A').
*5 The logo is present on the left side only of this design; white uniform numbers are worn on the right side (as shown on the right side of 'A' in note 1 above).
*6 The logo is present on the left side only of this design; white uniform numbers are worn on the right side (as represented below).
TARLETON STATE
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| c.1967 - 1968 |
1970 |
1969; 1977 - 1979 |
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| ? - 1999? |
2000? - 2009 |
2010 - 2011 |
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2012 -
October 4, 2014 |
October 11, 2014 -
November 15, 2014 |
2015 - 2017 |
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| 2018 - |
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UTAH TECH
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| c.late 1960s |
1972 |
1973 - 1974 |
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| 1975 - ? |
? - 1977 |
1978 - 1981 |
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| 1982 |
1983 - 1984 |
1985 - c.early 1990s |
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| 2006 |
2007 - 2009 |
2010 - 2012 |
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| 2013 - 2014 |
2015 |
2016 - 2018 |
| *see note 1 below |
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| 2019 |
2020* - October 15, 2022 |
October 22, 2022 - |
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This team played as a member of the NCAA for the first time in 2006 at the Division II level. Prior to then the team competed as a junior college team for many decades. The school name was previously Dixie State University (from 2013 to May 2022), Dixie State College of Utah (from 2000 to 2013), Dixie College (from 1972 to 2000) and Dixie Junior College (from 1923 to 1972). The team nickname was "Red Storm" from 2009 through 2016, and "Rebels" prior to 2009.
The team has a number of other interesting designs dating from the junior college period; below are photographs of some of these found in the university's yearbooks:
As is usually the case the biggest impediment towards adding these to the website is the apparent dearth of clear color photographs.
*1 Numerals are worn on the left side only of this design; on the right side is a "D" logo like the one used in 2012 and earlier seasons (as shown below).
