50 Best NCAA Football Helmets of 2016

College football is more than just a bunch of college kids wearing pads and hitting each other for our enjoyment, it’s a business too. We all know what happens when people begin seeing NCAA football as a business. It means things will change.

Several years ago, ticket sales were based on the talent on the field, not the uniforms being worn by the players. A player’s uniform was interesting but it was never as important as it has become today.

For example, Oregon started the trend in 2006 when they released four different uniforms, all with different colored pieces from the jersey and pants to the shoes and socks, which gave them 384 different combinations for each week. It was a little extreme to have so many choices but by 2008, the Oregon Ducks were wearing a new uniform for every game without wearing the same combination more than once.

Eight years later, the league has evolved and now just about every team has a few choices each week. It wasn’t just the uniforms that saw an evolution, the helmets got an even bigger upgrade over the years and that is what we are here to admire today. Here are the 50 best NCAA Football helmets of the 2016 season.

(This isn’t just a list of the newest helmets, this is a complete list of the best overall helmets, not just those single use, special edition ones.)

50. Kansas Jayhawks

• Conference: Big-12
• Colors: White, Red, Blue, Yellow
• Version: Alternate

49. Virginia Cavaliers

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Orange, Blue, White
• Version: Alternate

48. Troy Trojans

• Conference: Sun Belt
• Colors: Silver & Red
• Version: Chrome Alternate

47. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Conference: Big Ten
• Colors: Black & Yellow
• Version: Standard

46. Arizona State Sun Devils

• Conference: Pac-12
• Colors: White, Maroon, Gold
• Version: Alternate

45. West Virginia Mountaineers

• Conference: Big-12
• Colors: White, Blue, Old Gold
• Version: Special Opening Weekend Alternate
• Logo Details: The logo is the state of West Virginia and it is highlighting the 125th Anniversary of the West Virginia football program. As crazy as it sounds, they have been playing football in the mountains for over a century.

44. Iowa State Cyclones

• Conference: Big-12
• Colors: White, Cardinal Red, Gold
• Version: Alternate

43. Boise State Broncos

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Blue, Silver, Orange
• Version: Standard

42. UCF Knights

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: White, Black, Gold
• Version: Alternate
• Logo Details: This is the same logo UCF has had before but this time, it has been blown up to cover almost the entire side of the helmet.

41. North Carolina State Wolfpack

• Conference: ACC
• Colors:  White, Red
• Version: Throwback Alternate
• Logo Details: From 1986 to 2000, NC State wore the white helmet with the red diamond logo. But for some odd reason, they decided to change the design in 2000 and have been wearing that style ever since. They are bringing them back this season to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first game played in Carter-Finley Stadium.

40. Virginia Tech Hokies

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Black, Gray, White
• Version: Black Matte “Hokie Stone” Special Edition
• Logo Details: On September 10th, for the Battle at Bristol game against Tennessee, the Hokies wore these helmets with the Hokie Stone logo as a tribute to the Corps of Cadets, the military section of the university.

39. Nevada Wolfpack

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Blue, Silver
• Version: Matte Helmet word Regularly
• Logo Details: Nevada designed these helmets with the Wolfpack logo on one side while the other side of the helmet simply says, “Pack”.

38. ULL Ragin’ Cajuns

• Conference: Sun Belt
• Colors: Vermilion, White
• Version: Alternate White with superimposed Fleur-de-lis logo

37. Oregon State Beavers

• Conference: Pac-12
• Colors: White, Orange, Black
• Version: One of their three main helmets (Orange, Black, White)

36. FIU Panthers

• Conference: Conference USA
• Colors: Black, White, Gold
• Version: Alternate

35. Charlotte 49ers

• Conference: Conference USA
• Colors: White, Green, Gold
• Version: Standard

34. Georgia State Panthers

• Conference: Sun Belt
• Colors: Blue, White
• Version: Alternate Blue Matte

33. Purdue Boilermakers

• Conference: Big Ten
• Colors: White, Black, Gold
• Version: Alternate White w/ Boilermaker Train logo

32. Florida Gators

• Conference: SEC
• Colors: Orange, Blue
• Version: Standard

31. Cincinnati Bearcats

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: White, Black, Red
• Version: Under Armour Standard Away

30. UTEP Miners

• Conference: Conference USA
• Colors: Navy Blue, Orange, Silver
• Version: Alternate Large Pickax

29. Texas Longhorns

• Conference: Big-12
• Colors: Burnt Orange, White
• Version: Standard, Metallic Logo

28. Louisville Cardinals

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Red, White
• Version: Chrome “Ali Tribute” Alternate

27. New Mexico Lobos

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Gray, Red
• Version: Alternate, Matte w/ Red Facemask

26. Wyoming Cowboys

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Brown, Gold
• Version: Standard
• Logo Details: For some reason, the Wyoming Cowboys have one of the coolest logos in college sports. Although they got new Nike uniforms this season, they didn’t change their helmet one bit.

25. Connecticut Huskies

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: National Flag Blue, White, Red
• Version: Standard

24. South Carolina Gamecocks

• Conference: SEC
• Colors: Garnet, Black, White
• Version: Alternate

23. East Carolina Pirates

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: Royal Purple, Old Gold
• Version: Standard, Giant Pirate Logo

22. Kent State Golden Flashes

• Conference: MAC
• Colors:
• Version: Flying Eagle w/ Large “K” Alternate
• Style: If you happened to catch their opening weekend game against Penn State this season, then you already know how impressive these Alternate White helmets looked sweet even though they were getting pounded on the scoreboard.

21. Clemson Tigers

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Orange, White
• Version: Standard

20. SMU Mustangs

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: Red, White, Blue
• Version: Standard
• Style: There is just something to say about a White helmet with a Red Mustang galloping across it.

19. Ball State Cardinals

• Conference: Mid-American
• Colors: Red, White, Black
• Version: Alternate, Matte

18. Alabama Crimson Tide

• Conference: SEC
• Colors: Crimson, White
• Version: Standard

17. Texas State Bobcats

• Conference: Sun Belt
• Colors: Metallic Gold, Blue
• Version: Alternate, Matte

16. LSU Tigers

• Conference: SEC
• Colors: Purple, Gold, White
• Version: Alternate “Gridiron Gold”
• Logo Details: The simplistic style is a throwback to the 1940’s when LSU wore this exact same style of uniform with the White helmets w/ the numbers on them.

15. Colorado State Rams

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Forest Green, Vegas Gold
• Version: Standard

14. Miami Hurricanes

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Green, Orange, White
• Version: Standard

13. San Diego State Aztecs

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Scarlet, Black
• Version: Standard
• Logo Details: The official mascot for San Diego State is the Aztecs and this season, they managed to use that to their advantage with their latest helmet style, one featuring the Aztec calendar. It sounds like a bad idea, but it works.

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys

• Conference: Big-12
• Colors: White, Black
• Version: Alternate, XL Cowboy Logo in Chrome

11. Georgia Bulldogs

• Conference: SEC
• Colors: Red, Black, White
• Version: Standard

10. Duke Blue Devils

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Duke Blue, Black
• Version: Alternate, Black Matte w/ Metallic Logo Decal
• Logo Details: Much like a lot of the best helmets we have seen so far, and are about to see, winning and looking good in football don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.

9. Western Michigan Broncos

• Conference: MAC
• Colors: Brown, Gold
• Version: Alternate, Enlarged Logo
• Logo Details: Boise State started the trend to enhance the logo to XL size which can give the helmet a smoother, cooler look.

8. North Carolina Tar Heels

• Conference: ACC
• Colors: Baby Blue, White
• Version: Standard

7. Air Force Falcons

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Silver, Black, White, Red
• Version: “Legacy Series Sharktooth”
• Logo Details: During World War II, the P-40 fighter planes being used by the Air Force had the same shark logo painted on their noses.

6. Michigan Wolverines

• Conference: Big Ten
• Colors: Navy Blue, Yellow
• Version: Standard

5. Tulane Green Wave

• Conference: American Athletic
• Colors: Sky Blue, Olive, White
• Version: Alternate
• Logo Details: For many years, Tulane struggled with making the Green Wave look good but this alternate style nails it. It makes a lame mascot, like a wave, into a animated object that is pissed and wants revenge.

4. UNLV Rebels

• Conference: Mountain West
• Colors: Scarlet, Gray, Black
• Version: Alternate, Matte w/ Metallic Red Facemask

3. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Conference: Big Ten
• Colors: Black, Silver
• Version: Alternate, “Dark Knight” Edition
• Logo Details: This helmet is part of an entire all-black uniform that Rutgers is going to be wearing on October 8th game against Michigan.

2. Buffalo Bulls

• Conference: Mid-American
• Colors: Black, Blue, White
• Version: Nike Mach Speed Alternate, Matte w/ Bull’s Face Logo

1. Old Dominion Monarchs

• Conference: Conference USA
• Colors: Black, Silver
• Version: Alternate, Matte
• Logo Details: This helmet is just a sample of the entire uniform which is easily the best in the country when it comes to the all-black blackout look these days.

Editor’s Choice

This is a Maryland based site, and it’s bullshit that one of our writers would submit this article without giving proper respect to the Terps. We love our flag in Maryland, and it clearly makes the best helmet. Fear the Turtle!