The Florida Gators have announced they will wear all-black uniforms against Arkansas on November 4 of this year, during their ‘Saluting Those Who Serve’ game. The team will honor members of the armed forces, veterans and local first responders.
According to the Gators, the “Florida football team will wear alternate black uniforms for the first time in school history.”
Along with that press release, the team put out one tweet which unfortunately doesn’t give us a look at the full uniform. So let’s take a look at what the team did show:
HELMET
The helmet is a matte black, with “Gators” script on the sides in blue, outlined in white. The helmet stripe is in Florida school colors of orange/blue/white/blue/orange.
The team also released a video, which also doesn’t show the full uniform, but here is a screen grab of the back of the helmet:
JERSEY
Again, no look at the full jersey, but a photo (and I got another screen grab) that reveals…
Obviously the jersey is black, with the orange/blue/white/blue/orange striping pattern on the sleeve caps. “Gators” in script will be on the chest. Numbers will be white, with a blue and orange outline.
Fortunately there was a retail leak of the jersey earlier this month, and while it’s not the cut players will wear, it at least gives us a look at the front.
** A few years ago, Florida flirted with, but did not actually wear, a black uniform. The uniforms they’ll break out this year are similar — but the new unis have the “Gators” script on the jersey and helmet, whereas the prototypes had only a gator head logo on the jersey and helmet (See below for update)
PANTS
Again, no full look at the pants, but here’s a partial glimpse of the side:
That shows a gator logo on the right front, and shows a partial orange/blue/white stripe. It’s impossible to discern if the complete striping pattern (as is seen on the helmet and sleeve caps) is there (though there is a faint blue at the top of the photo), so we can assume it will be the full orange/blue/white/blue/orange.
I suppose it was just a matter of time before such a storied program as Florida broke out a BFBS uniform (especially after teasing one a few years back). In a vacuum, I actually really like what I’ve seen (and that’s admittedly less than half the uniform), but will need to see them on the field to render a final judgment. I hate that they’ve going BFBS — but if you’re going to do that, these look to be the way to go.
Hey Phil! Hope all is well. Reaching out as I read the Uni Watch article on the black uniforms and wanted to share some corrections on this section.
The “black uniform” hyperlink was a fan’s mock-up and not official and not a prototype. The “helmet” hyperlink you have hyperlinked to the 2017 Swamp Green uniform helmet, which had the Gatorhead logo on the helmet.
There’s only been teases of a black uniform (quotes only), but not official prototypes or mock-ups or anything. Just sharing for accuracy!
Here’s the link to his article on the Gators new black uniforms, which, if you scroll down, gives a fantastic timeline of black uniform news, which I highly recommend reading.
UPDATE: Thanks to Gator Uniform Tracker, here’s what the full uniform will look like with some details:
The details:
– Black helmet w/ blue script Gators 🔵
– Script Gators on chest of jersey ⚫
– Master stripe throughout ✔
– Nameplates will feature 1/5 words that embody those who serve 🇺🇸#GoGators #JUMPMAN pic.twitter.com/TthpisvPLj— Gators Uniform Tracker (@GatorsUnis) August 16, 2023
at least the got the stripe pattern correct throughout
I suppose the underskirt will be black also.
As a lifelong Seminole, UF can kick rocks.
However, I do have to give them props for not going the route of so many other programs when they do a ‘Saluting Those Who Serve’-type of game when camo gets involved. Way to go, turds.
Plus it could have been SOOOOOO MUCH WORSE (link)
As a lifelong fan, I’m so disappointed by the decision to put the script “Gators” on the chest. It breaks consistency of design with all their others jerseys. There should just be the Gator head logo opposite the maker’s mark.
In a vacuum, these are entirely cromulent; but, with that one minor tweak they would’ve been perfect (*cough* at least as far as BFBS can be *cough*).
Here’s to hoping they manage to fix the stripes on the orange jerseys this season. They already fixed the pants (which was a huge relief).
They fought the BFBS thing off for soooooooo long…………. >:(
A noble uniform Embiggens the smallest Program. lol
Gator here: these are trash. The “honoring those who serve” also doesn’t make any sense—I’d get it if it were “honoring the fallen,” but this just puts the FBS in BFBS. Hopefully it’s just for ’23.
Absolute garbage.
I think they look cool :)
Please seek help, sir. Please.
Yes David, I clearly need to “seek help” because I think a college football uniform looks cool and you don’t.
That kind of attitude explains pretty much everything that’s wrong with the world we live in, or at least your f’d up country.
They really do not.
Huh, that’s weird. I thought taste was subjective. Apparently I was wrong and should instead kowtow to the opinions of the great Brodie Pasteur!
Disgusting. Puke-inducing. Gross. Horrific. Way to screw up, Gators.
Why is “black” the color of “honoring those who serve”? The reason teams generally cite for going BFBS is intimidation. If you’re honoring first responders which presumably includes cops and firefighters — for intimidating people, you’re doing it wrong.
Not a fan of teams doing BFBS when black isn’t one of their colors, but for some reason I really don’t like it when the team’s primary color is blue.
Personally, I didn’t care for black Duke bball jerseys.
Hmm, I’ve been a Florida fan since 1991 and this is the first time I’ve been grossed out enough to think “maybe this team isn’t for me.” The swamp green was awful enough, but I thought they learned their lesson with those. I could even deal with the weird asymmetrical orange sleeve uniform they had, but this is plain stupid. These are the kinds of goofy tricks that G5 teams need to pull to get people interested. Florida felt “above” that.
I’m sure I’ll still be there rooting for them, but it is incredibly irritating.
Would be a very nice uniform for any other school sporting blue, orange and black but for the Gators it looks strange. I like it that they will auction off these uniforms for a good cause after the game. It must be said that Florida’s baseball and basketball teams have worn black many times before so for the football team to follow suit is not that farfetched. But it just does not look totally right somehow.
Sign of a desperate program to go so off script from their already strong identity.
WHY ARE WE STILL DOING THIS