Patrick Pierson Director of Football Branding and Creative Media | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Patrick Pierson Director of Football Branding and Creative Media | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The Illinois football team is set to don three throwback helmets for the Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary season, as announced by the program on Tuesday. These helmet designs represent nearly half a century of the Fighting Illini's history, spanning from 1962 to 2012, and will be featured throughout the 2024 season at Memorial Stadium.
"We are excited to celebrate 100 years of Memorial Stadium and our program's history in one special season," stated head coach Bret Bielema. "Our helmets will honor a different era each week, appealing to our entire fan base, regardless of age, and bringing back Memorial Stadium memories to our alumni and Illini famILLy. We're looking forward to releasing more details soon about the rest of our 100th Anniversary plans."
Details regarding a helmet schedule for the anniversary season are expected to be disclosed later. Additionally, Illinois plans to sell a limited number of game-worn throwback helmets, with purchasing information forthcoming.
The four-star helmets were notably worn during Dick Butkus' tenure at Illinois from 1962-68. This design includes players' numbers under four stars with a gray facemask and white-blue-white center stripes. The team achieved significant success wearing these helmets, including winning the Big Ten title in 1963 and securing victory in the 1964 Rose Bowl against Washington.
The arched Illini helmets were used from 1971-87. Variations existed over time in terms of facemasks, helmet stripes, and decal sizing. The version for this year will have gray facemasks with a blue-white-orange-white-blue center stripe pattern. Under Coach Mike White's leadership, Illinois recorded an undefeated Big Ten Conference record in these helmets during the 1983 season.
Lastly, versions of the underlined Illinois helmets were utilized from 1989-2012. A blue stroke was added in 2005 after starting with an all-white underline from 1989-2004. The upcoming design will include a white facemask with blue-white-blue center stripes. The team won two Big Ten titles wearing these helmets and participated in notable bowl games such as the Sugar Bowl in 2002 and Rose Bowl in both 2008.
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