This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/matte_purple on 2024-07-12 22:32:40+00:00.
Hello wonderful folks of r/CFB! Welcome to my ranking of the 2023 BYU Cougars football season uniforms! In case you missed it, I already ranked WVU, Colorado, TCU, Arizona State, and OK-State, and I intend on ranking the rest of the Big XII teams (sans K-State and Arizona) soon. If you are interested in my thoughts regarding the Big XII uniform season, check out my Big 12 2023 Season-in-Review post, or my recent 2023 Big 12 Uniform Awards post. If you want to go back further, check out my profile or these other posts: 2022 Big 12 Uniform Awards and Big XII Uniform Tracker 2022: Season-in-Review. But for now, let’s check out what the Cougars wore in their 2023 Big 12 debut season, featuring some facts, stats, and history. As always, feel free to disagree with me or tell me if my placements feel right. I’m interested in hearing what you think, or in seeing how y’all would rearrange the combos!
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I’m u/matte_purple, and let’s 3,2,1 go!
11. Black/Black/Black - Week 11 vs ISU (L, 45-13)
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There’s really no way I can say it without being blunt: black is not a BYU color. They’ve experimented with it a few times recently, notably including it in combos through 2016-2017 & 2020-2022, and of course once this year. In my mind, when I think of that royal and that navy, one school comes to mind. Adding black to the mix just muddies the water. I know the age of “Black for Black’s Sake” uniforms never really went away, as shown by new Houston, ISU, KU, Baylor, TCU (sorta) and WVU alts in the Big 12 and a few others in college football, but it feels especially egregious here. BYU has an absolutely gorgeous color palette, and instead of leading with royal, they made it a secondary color. Plus, why on earth wasn’t the Stretch Y logo royal? A royal facemask and logo would have at least hopped this up a few spots.
10. Royal/Royal/Royal - Week 5 vs UC (W, 35-27)
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This look pops. And I mean POPS. It jumps off the screen in a way that lots of uniforms can only dream of. But it does have its drawbacks. Monochromatic looks are still worse looking - in my opinion - than one that can proportion out color better. I could easily see this one being a favorite of some, but for me, it’s just a bit too forward. Maybe a white facemask could’ve helped…
9. Navy/Navy/Navy - Week 2 vs Southern Utah (W, 27-13)
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Again, BYU’s color game is one of the strongest aspects of their identity. This navy color is just as beautiful as the royal, but is perfect for a shakeup in the uniform game and a nice change of pace for a non-con game. This is actually a new navy helmet, too. This new lid featured a glossy finish instead of the matte finish BYU wore in 2021. Additionally, the stretch “Y” logo was outlined and not filled like in 2021. One of only three navy combos this season, I liked it, but it had the same monochromatic problem as the previous ranking. I think this combo is a little less forward, and thus easier on the eyes, but they are about interchangeable in my estimation. I know that many fans will also disagree with me on this because of said 2021 season so rest assured: these rankings are strictly based on looks! (Unless I feel like it or I think it’s funny lol)
8. Royal/White/White - Week 13 at OSU (L, 40-34 2 OT)
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Obviously, BYU’s “Royal Sitake” uniforms (so named because they mimic HC Sitake’s uniform combos while he played at BYU from the mid 90s - 2000) look sharp when paired against Oklahoma State’s orange and black, creating a delicious contrast that was a real treat for the screen. It’s clear that these two equipment rooms talked to each other to plan out outfits because this was a perfect matchup. But as a standalone, they still leave off a bit too much royal for me. Like I’ve said above: it’s all about the color proportioning. The striping is beautiful and classic, but it just isn’t quite enough for me. We’ll see some examples of better color proportions coming up.
7. White/White/White - Navy Accents - Week 4 at KU (L, 38-27)
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We’ll see the no-doubt more popular royal-accented version of this combo a little later; for now, let’s take a gander at what I consider to be a much-maligned look. If the royal is the rock and roll, fireworks and gunfire look, navy is the understated, but regal and self assured older brother that feels dignified (even if a little less fun). It is understandably lower rated, but I don’t think it deserves NEARLY the hate it usually gets. This is a great look, even if its “younger brother” is slightly cooler and more hip. This was an especially savvy touch considering it differentiated the shade of blue against KU’s brighter tint. But, of course, KU opted to go with their outdated red uniforms instead. C’est la vie. Regardless of the shade, the BYU blue and white scheme goes all the way back to 1892 along the same time athletic teams formed on campus. I hope they keep both!
6. Royal/Royal/White - Week 1 vs Sam Houston (W, 14-0)
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This Virgil Carter inspired tribute released in 2021 was one of the foundations for the designs of the relatively fresh update. A Cougar legend, Carter set six national, 19 conference, and 24 school records while at BYU, and was an academic All-American during his 1964-66 seasons. He played under Coach LaVell Edwards (yeah, that guy) in a suit that looked remarkably similar to this. These Color/Color/White combos may be the norm in college football, but there’s a great reason for it. It’s a workhorse of a look that lets the color shine without being overbearing. It falls just outside of the top 5 because, again, it does feel a little like a lot of teams use this particular formula. I’ve heard some people call this combo their “ESPN+ look” and I feel that’s a little fitting for this Week 1 suit.
5. White/White/White - Royal Accents - Week 10 vs WVU (L, 37-7)
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I know what you may be thinking: “are you crazy? How can you put this classic, beautiful, royal-accented icy look so low??” It’s a testament to how wardrobe wise BYU has been for the past two and a half decades (except for the bibs. I shudder at the bibs). I love these, but I think that mostly-white away uniforms just can’t do justice to how beautiful the all-important color scheme is for BYU. I will say this: in nearly every single Big 12 matchup scenario, these absolutely stand out and represent BYU excellently. Versatile, tasteful, the classic striping and logos rock. But in terms of overall style and taste, the Cougars do have a few better options. Again, BYU has so many classic choices that I anticipate these rankings will vary wildly from alumni/fans to impartial observers.
4. Royal/White/Royal - Week 3 at Arkansas (W, 38-31)
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Now we’re getting into the good stuff. These next few are the top shelf picks. The Royal Oreo look gives fans the novelty of a royal helmet, which is not necessarily the BYU Standard, while also giving the uniform a healthy dose of royal in an away look. These helmets are some of my favorites - especially with a white facemask - and the symmetrical combo scratches a wonderful itch in my brain. It’s a gorgeously proportioned uniform, symmetrical, it pops against a bold red like Arkansas, and it’s got BYU written all over it. The only way you could improve it would be having a throwback Y logo on the helmet. Fantastic suit. Before we get into the top 3, how about I tell you my favorite BYU mascot story? The original BYU mascots - rescued mountain lions Cleo and Tarbo - were once brought to a college dance by their rescuer and BYU alumnus Dave Rust. At that point, t…
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