The 10 Best Helmets In College Football

While it may seem like college football is changing dramatically every single year, there are still a number of things that remain constant as reminders of why so many of us love the game.

One of those things is the iconic helmets that allow us to immediately identify who’s playing the second we flip on a game. While yes, helmets certainly serve a functional purpose for player safety, they also serve a purpose for schools to set their brand apart from any other in the country.

College football is full of legendary helmets, but some more than others have stood the test of time and stand out as the best of the best. With that said, we’re counting down the top 10 helmets in college football today.

The 10 Best Helmets In College Football Today

For the purpose of our exercise, we’re limiting this list to primary helmets. So sorry, Oregon, but you’re off the list.

While the Ducks and several other programs have unveiled awesome-looking new helmets in recent years, they don’t meet the criteria and don’t have the amount of history tied to them that the rest of our list does.

Additionally, there’s sure to be helmets left off this list that will get people riled up (sorry, Ohio State fans). But that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

With that said, here’s our countdown of the top 10 helmets in all of college football.

10) Oklahoma Sooners

Like several other programs, Oklahoma has introduced a number of alternate helmets in recent years. But nothing will top the iconic crimson and cream helmet with the block OU emblazoned in the middle.

While small elements have changed, the Sooners have worn some variety of a crimson helmet with the interlocking OU dating all the way back to 1966. That means it’s been worn by program legends such as Lee Roy Selmon, Brian Bosworth, and Adrian Peterson.

Oklahoma’s helmet isn’t flashy. It isn’t always the most eye-catching, but it’s a classic look that, try as they might, other programs will struggle to top.

9) Pitt Panthers

As much as it pains this Penn State graduate to say, the Pitt Panthers have one of the most iconic helmets in all of college football with their legendary yellow and blue Pitt script look.

Had the Panthers not strayed from the path and ditched the legendary look for its golden roaring panther from the late 1990s to early 2010s, it’s possible that Pitt would be even higher on this list.

The blue Pitt writing with a white outline pops off the yellow background and makes it immediately clear who you’re watching. Like Oklahoma, several program legends have donned the script Pitt helmets, including Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, and Kenny Pickett.

8) Florida Gators

Did I mention that I’m a suck for script lettering? If that wasn’t evident with Pitt at No. 9, it becomes abundantly clear with the Gators at No. 8.

Florida’s look doesn’t go back quite as far as the Sooners or Pitt, but it still has that iconic feel. The Gators first wore their orange helmets with the blue script “Gators” written across them in 1979 and haven’t looked back.

The look became extremely famous in the 1990s under Steve Spurrier as his ‘Fun ‘N Gun’ offense revolutionized football in the SEC and college football as a whole.

These days, it’s strongly associated with program legends like Emmitt Smith, Danny Wuerffel, and, of course, Tim Tebow.

7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

I mean, how much more iconic can you get than the Golden Domers? You don’t have to like it. In fact, most probably don’t. But there’s no arguing the legacy of the iconic Notre Dame golden helmets.

Notre Dame first started wearing their legendary gold lids in the 1950s, not long after players switched from leather to hard-shell helmets.

Since then, the Fighting Irish have won four national titles, and the famous golden helmets have made their way into catholic high schools across the country.

Everyone from Paul Hornung, to Tim Brown, and Manti Te’o have donned the golden dome, and if the Fighting Irish ever tried to get rid of the look, we’re pretty sure there would be a riot.

6) Florida State Seminoles

We go from one famous golden helmet to another, with the Florida State Seminoles checking in at No. 6.

The ‘Noles first started wearing the gold, white and garnet helmets in 1976 which, coincidentally, was the first year their head coaching legend Bobby Bowden took over the program. Bowden then proceeded to turn the program into a national power, winning national titles in both 1993 and 1999, with Jimbo Fisher adding a third in 2013.

In 1997, Bowden began awarding Tomahawk helmet stickers to players who achieved high academic success. That eventually expanded to on-field and practice success, and these days and it’s considered a regular part of the already popular look.

5) Penn State Nittany Lions

Some may criticize Penn State’s traditional blue and white look, topped with a white helmet and a blue stripe, as boring. That’s a fair criticism. But you certainly can’t argue that the look isn’t iconic in the world of college football and easily recognizable.

Penn State has consistently worn white helmets since the 1940s, and it added the blue center stripe in 1949. While the program has made some minor tweaks, including the addition and removal of numbers at different times, the look has otherwise stayed the same for nearly eight decades.

Particularly when they’re wearing their all-white uniforms, Penn State’s white helmet and blue stripe is one of the best looks in the sport and one we hope never changes.

4) LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers have worn their yellow helmet with purple lettering and a white stripe dating all the way back to 1956. In 1957, they added numbers to the side of the helmet before adding their mascot, Mike the Tiger, to the helmets in 1972.

Since then, the Tigers have unveiled a number of different alternate looks, including a white helmet that gets worn fairly regularly these days. But it’s the yellow helmet that defines the LSU program.

Legendary players to have worn the yellow helmet include Alan Faneca, Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and, of course, Joe Burrow.

3) Miami Hurricanes

It’s all about “The U” at No. 3. In 1973, the University of Miami introduced its split U logo that has stood the test of time. Like others, the ‘Canes have tried various alternate versions of their helmet, including an orange-chrome look in the mid-2010s that gained some praise, but it’s the classic white helmet that always seems to come back to the forefront.

While the early days of the split U logo were rough, it quickly became associated with one of the nation’s top programs when Howard Schellenberger led the program to its first national championship in 1983. Jimmie Johnson then won two more in 1987 and 1989 before Dennis Erickson and Larry Coker each picked up one of their own.

The legendary helmet has been worn by legends such a Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and, most recently, No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward.

2) Michigan Wolverines

Much like Notre Dame and its Golden Dome helmets, Michigan’s Winged Helmet has become a go-to for high school programs across the country, and it’s easy to see why.

The Wolverines first wore their famed winged helmet 1938, pre-dating every other look on this list. Coach Fritz Crisler brought the look over from Princeton University, changing the color scheme to Michigan’s iconic maize and blue.

No helmet on this list has seen more victories than the maize and blue winged helmet, and it’s one of the most immediately recognizable looks not only in college football, but in all of sports.

1) Texas Longhorns

Sitting atop this list is the same team that currently sits atop the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Texas Longhorns.

Texas first adopted the white helmet with an orange longhorn logo in 1961 and, while it has made some tiny tweaks, the look has remained largely unchanged in the 60-plus years since.

The back of the current Texas helmet features the player’s uniform number as well as an outline of the Lone Star state with a star in the middle denoting Austin, Texas, the home of the University of Texas.

Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams both won Heisman Trophies while wearing the legendary lid, while Vince Young donned it in perhaps the most iconic college football game of the 21st century, the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Programs that just missed our list include: Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Iowa.