This page contains a record of every football uniform Mississippi State has worn since the 1951 season.
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Mississippi State Football Helmet Timeline
Since switching to plastic helmets in 1949, Mississippi State has worn 51 different football helmet designs. Less than half (19) of those were worn over a 60 year span from 1949-2008. The other 32 come from the last 14 seasons (2009-2019). From 1949 through 1962, Mississippi State wore white helmets; in 1958 and 59 those white helmets had numbers on them. In 1963, Mississippi State wore plastic maroon helmets for the first time, wearing the Bulldog logo as a decal for the three years from 1963-1965. In 1966, the "Flying M" logo was worn on maroon helmets. In 1967, the Bulldogs switched back to white helmets, wearing numbers in 67, 68, and 72, and the "Flying M" from 69-71. In 1973, the switch was made back to maroon helmets. An "MS" logo was worn until 1978, with the facemasks switching to white that year. In 1979, the logo was changed to an interlocking "MSU". Stripes were added and the "MSU" logo was altered in 1986. The stripes were removed in 1989 and the logo was altered again in 1996. Starting in 2000, Mississippi State began wearing white helmets as alternates. In 2004, white helmets became full-time for the first time since 1972, this time featuring the "M-State" logo. In 2009, maroon helmets became the primaries once again, featuring the updated "M-State" logo. Starting in 2011, the Bulldogs began wearing multiple alternate helmets each season, with base colors such as matte maroon, white, silver, black, and even chrome gold. The "M-State" logo remains the primary, although it has been tweaked countless times over the past decade. In 2018, the Bulldogs wore a special "Statesman" design featuring a "Mississippi" script on a silver helmet. In 2020, they wore the Flying M logo on the helmets for the first time since 1971. In 2021, to commemorate the Mississippi State baseball team winning the National Championship, the M over S logo was worn on the football helmets for the first time ever. In 2022, a "fauxback" design featuring an "MS" logo on a white helmet was worn along with uniforms honoring Frank Dowsing and Robert Bell. Also in 2022, the script "State" logo was worn on the football helmets for the first time, appearing on both white and maroon helmets. Finally, to honor the late Coach Mike Leach, the Bulldogs wore a pirate flag decal on the left side of the maroon helmets in the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl. |
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1951
We start in 1951, when State had a bit of a mix and match going. They had plain white helmets with a maroon stripe, plain maroon and white jerseys, and white and maroon pants, each with a single stripe. Pictures from 1951 confirm that they at least wore the Maroon-Maroon, Maroon-White, and White-Maroon combinations. They kept the same set in 1952, but I couldn't confirm if they did the same level of mixing and matching that year. |
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1953
In 1953, the stripes on the pants were doubled. The latest photos I saw of the maroon pants being worn, outside of freshman games, were in 1953. State wouldn't wear maroon pants again until 1984. |
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1958
In 1958 and 59, State added black numbers to the helmet and "northwestern" stripes to the sleeves. |
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1960
In 1960 through 1962, the Bulldogs removed the helmet numbers and actually wore Ole Miss-like double vertical shoulder stripes on the jerseys. |
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1963
Maroon helmets were worn for the first time in the plastic helmet era in 1963. The original maroon helmets featured a bulldog logo; the jerseys during this time were stripeless aside from a contrasting cuff. |
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1966
In 1966, the helmet logo was changed to the "flying M." |
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1967
The switch was made back to white helmets in 1967; these were stripeless with numbers on the side for two seasons, though a different number font was used each season (67,68). The jerseys featured thin double stripes on the sleeves, mirroring the pants. |
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1969
From 1969 to 1971, the Bulldogs wore the classic "flying M" look. A maroon stripe and the "flying M" logo were added to the white helmets, and numbers were added above the sleeve stripes on the jerseys. |
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1972
In 1972, the "flying M" logo was replaced by numbers on the side of the helmet; on the jersey, the sleeve stripes and numbers were removed. |
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1973
In 1973, maroon helmets were re-introduced, featuring an "MS" logo and a gray facemask. Sleeve numbers were also brought back in 1973. |
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1978
The facemask on the maroon helmets was changed from gray to white for the 1978 season. |
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1979
In 1979, the "MS" logo on the helmet was changed to a full, interlocking "MSU". |
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1984
In 1984, the Bulldogs removed the stripes on the pants but added stripes on the shoulders, similar to those Texas A&M wore under Coach Emory Bellard. Maroon pants, introduced for the first time since 1953, were worn frequently these two years, |
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1986
Former QB Rocky Felker became head coach of the Bulldogs in 1986, coinciding with one of the most significant uniform changes in program history. The 1986 uniforms added an updated "interlocking MSU” logo to the helmets and introduced silver/gray to the color scheme. Silver and white stripes were added on the helmets and jersey sleeves. Silver pants with maroon-white-maroon stripes were the primary pants option; they were only option in 1986- white pants were re-introduced in 1987 and 1988 as an alternate option. |
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1989
An update in 1989 removed the shoulder stripes, helmet stripes, and all silver from the uniforms, resulting in a plain look very similar to the 1979-1983 look, as well at what would be worn from 2004-2008 (white helmets and maroon pants aside). |
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1991
In 1991, "Miss. State" was added to the front of the jersey. Pants stripes were dropped, but the “MSU” logo was added to the hip. TV numbers were moved to the top of the shoulder. Maroon pants were added for the Peach Bowl at the end of the 1992 season, and continued to be worn every now and then in the following years. |
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1995
The 1995 season was the first that the Bulldogs played under Nike. The first year Nike uniforms were very similar to the previous set; the only changes were the addition of the swoosh and the movement of the TV numbers back to the sleeve. |
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1996
The 1996 update was the biggest change yet for the Bulldogs; the new Nike uniform set included black drop shadows on the numbers, white and black stripes on the shoulders, and an updated “interlocking MSU” logo on the helmet. This may be the look most associated with the Bulldogs, as the late '90s teams were some of the most successful MSU teams in recent history (until 2014, in which, not-so coincidentally, the Bulldogs wore throwbacks to these uniforms for most of the season.) |
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2001
After being debuted in 2000 Independence Bowl (or "Snow Bowl"), white helmets with the "interlocking MSU" logo were worn as alternates in 2001 and 2002. |
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2003
State wore the white helmets once in 2003; they were worn with numbers on the side in the 2003 Egg Bowl, which was Jackie Sherill's last game as Head Coach. |
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2004
State changed manufacturers in 2004, from Nike to Russell. Due to Nike owning the updated "interlocking MSU” logo and Mississippi State's administration wanting to create a more unified brand, the "M-State" logo became the helmet logo and white helmets became the full-time look for the first time since 1972. Along with the white helmets, the Russell Athletic uniforms were very plain; the jersey featured no stripes and the pants featured a generic double stripe. Only white pants were worn in 2004 and 2005; maroon pants were added in 2006 to create a not-so-fan-favorite all maroon look. |
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2008
In the 2008 home game against Kentucky, Mississippi State wore pink breast cancer awareness ribbons behind the "M-State" logo on their helmet decals. |
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2009
During the offseason prior to the 2009 season, the university underwent a rebrand, updating the “M-State” logo, adding new Bulldog logos, a new wordmark logo, and a new manufacturing agreement with Adidas. Coinciding with the start of the Dan Mullen Era, the new Adidas uniforms brought back maroon helmets, added a small wordmark and piping to the chest, and replaced the double pants stripes with a wide stripe on the white pants and no stripes on the maroon pants. During the 2009 season, Mississippi State wore black jerseys for the first time in school history. Worn in the 09, 10, and 11, the first black jerseys in school history followed the same template as the maroon and white jerseys, with a white wordmark but maroon numbers. In 2010, they were worn with black pants to create an all-black look. |
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2011-2014
Mississippi State wore special, gold-accented uniforms in four Egg Bowls, staring in 2011 and going through 2014. The 2011 Egg Bowl uniform was Mississippi State's first true alternate uniform- it featured gold numbers, a new state of MS logo on the sleeves, and gold outlines on logos throughout the uniform. The 2012 uniform was essentially a white version of the 2011 one, but with a matte helmet and sleeve numbers. The 2013 Egg Bowl uniform was the most outlandish yet, with chrome gold helmets, no white outline on the numbers, and "Hail State" on the chest. The 2014 version was more conservative, with a maroon helmet, gold facemask, a State of MS texture in the gold numbers, and the DWS 100 pants. In 2015, the Bulldogs went back to simple maroon and white for Egg Bowls; they finished with a 2-2 record in special Egg Bowl uniforms. Both wins came in the home maroon versions and both losses came in the road white versions. |
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2011
The 4 different helmet designs worn during the 2011 season were by far the most Mississippi State had ever worn in a single season at that point. Though the uniforms remained the same as 2009-10, the primary helmet design was altered and an alternate matte helmet design was added. For the 2011 Egg Bowl, a gold outline was added to the logo on the glossy helmet. For the Music City Bowl, a gray outline was added to the logo on the matte helmet, bringing the helmet design total to 4 for the 2011 season. 2011 was only the start of the alternate helmet craze for Mississippi State; the Bulldogs would go on to wear 5 helmet designs in 2012, 4 in 2013, 5 in 2014, 4 in 2015, and 3 in 2016/2017. |
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2012
Adidas redesigned the uniforms for the 2012 season, with the Bulldogs getting upgraded to the TechFit template full time. The new uniforms featured a ribbon design mimicking the one on the "M-State" logo thought; the ribbon was featured on the pants, helmet, and undershirt stripes, but not on the shoulder stripe. The Mississippi State wordmark on the chest was enlarged; gray pants were included in the set for the first time since 1988. 2012 was also the first year for Texas A&M, whom MSU beat in the “Snow Bowl” 12 years earlier, to play in the SEC. Adidas designed special uniforms for the Bulldogs to wear against the Aggies in their first meeting as conference foes. The "Snow Bowl" jerseys were re-purposed and worn with gray pants and the matte maroon helmet (with a silver facemask) in the Gator Bowl later that season. |
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2013
2013 saw the addition of two brand new helmet designs. A maroon version of the Snow Bowl helmet was worn against Oklahoma State in the 2013 Texas Kickoff Classic and again against Kentucky. For the 2013 Egg Bowl, a chrome gold helmet was introduced. |
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2014
In 2014, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Davis Wade Stadium, as well as the opening of the new expansion, the Bulldogs unveiled throwback uniforms. Resembling the unis worn from 1996 to 2003, the maroon jersey featured white sleeve stripes with a black outline and a white numbers with a black outline. The helmet was maroon with a white facemask. The biggest difference between the 90's unis and these throwbacks is the absence of the interlocking "MSU" logo and the presence of the "MState" logo. Originally worn vs Southern Miss, these became the go-to uniforms in 2014 after the Bulldogs wore them in back-to-back-to-back victories over top-10 teams (LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn). The Bulldogs finished the 2014 season 6-0 in these uniforms. A white version was unveiled for the 2014 Orange Bowl. It was worn with a matte maroon helmet that had the exact same design as the helmet worn in the Music City Bowl three years prior. |
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2015
In 2015, the DWS 100 uniform design was carried over to full time. Several small changes (Maroon, White) were made, however, as the Bulldogs transitioned to Adidas's newest "Primeknit" template. Notable changes included the helmet logo, removal of shoulder numbers (a mistake that was corrected after the first three games),and the modification of the sleeve stripes and pants logo. Maroon pants, also bearing the oversized pants logo, were added. Throughout 2015, several alternate uniform elements were added. Gray pants, with stripes resembling those worn in the '80s, were worn. A black alternate was worn for the first time since 2011. A white helmet was worn for the first time since 2012, and the first time with a version of the M-State logo on it since the Croom Era ended in 2008. The white helmet was worn with the maroon jersey in the Egg Bowl that year instead of a gold-accented alternate. |
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2016
In 2016, the Bulldogs made some big improvements to the white jerseys and pants, removing the black outlines and oversized logo; they were replaced with maroon-gray-maroon stripes. The maroon pants were also updated to feature white-gray-white stripes. Alternates in 2016 included Patriots-style alternate uniforms for the game vs UMass in Gillette Stadium and a templated Adidas American flag design for a blackout upset of #4 Texas A&M. Silver helmets, for the first time in Mississippi State history, were worn with both alternates and two other times in 2016. |
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2017
In 2017, the maroon jerseys were brought in line with the white jerseys and all of the pants; black was removed from the collar and white-gray-white stripes replaced the double white stripes with black outlines. The black jerseys and pants from 2015 were brought back in 2017 and paired with the silver helmets for the UMass game. The following week, the Bulldogs wore Veterans Day alternates against Alabama, also with the silver helmets. |
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2018
In Joe Moorhead's first season as Head Coach, Mississippi State saw some slight upgrades to its uniforms via the Adidas PrimeKnit A1 Template. A few changes were made to the primary jerseys and pants, including moving logos/patches around, adding collar stripes, and thinning pants stripes. Two jerseys (Maroon, White) and three pants (Maroon, White, Gray) were included in the 2018 set. Four helmet designs were worn in 2018: glossy maroon, matte maroon, white, and silver-based "Statesman." The glossy maroon helmets, worn only in the season opener, featured a maroon "M-State" decal rather than the white one worn the previous three seasons; the white helmets were the exact same as the ones worn since 2015. The matte maroon helmets, the first worn by State since 2015, were a very dark maroon, with a silver facesmask, silver stripe, and maroon and silver "M-State" logo. The "Statesman" helmets were part of State's 2018 alternate uniforms; the program's first ever all-gray uniforms had black-maroon-black sleeve stripes, black numbers, and a block "State" on the chest. |
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2019
In 2019, the second and final season under Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State's football jerseys saw a minor improvement in the form of a more-traditional collar. Combination selection in 2019 left something to be desired; white helmets were worn in over half of the games and the traditional M-M-W and M-W-W combinations never saw the field. The matte maroon helmets from 2018 were retained; however, starting with their second appearance of the 2019 season, the silver center stripe was removed, improving its flow with the rest of the uniform. Mississippi State wore two alternate uniforms in 2019: a an all-black look inspired by the TK Martin Center than received universal praise as one of the best alternate uniforms in the country in 2019 and a gold-accented all-maroon look for the Bulldogs' 21-20 Egg Bowl victory over Ole Miss. It was the first time since 2017 that the Bulldogs had worn black jerseys and the first time since 2014 that they had worn gold-accented alternates for an Egg Bowl. Finally, along with most other College Football teams in 2019, State wore the CFB150 patch on the right shoulder in every game in 2019. |
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2020
In the stunted SEC-only 2020 season, the Bulldogs' first under head coach Mike Leach, Mississippi State returned to a more traditional combination selection, with the gloss-finished maroon helmets returning and being worn in 7 of 10 regular season games. The traditional M-M-W combination was worn three times while the M-W-W was worn twice; neither had seen the field in 2019. Mississippi State wore two alternate uniforms in 2020. The first was a throwback to the 1969-1971 home uniforms, which featured white helmets with the popular "Flying M" logo. The second was an all-black look which included the first black helmets in program history and featured no maroon whatsoever. Both alternates were worn in wins, over Vanderbilt and Missouri respectively. Additionally, in the Egg Bowl, Mississippi State debuted a new white helmet design which featured the maroon stripe, gray facemask, and large back numbers from the Flying M helmet, but with the M-State logo instead. |
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2021
In 2021, Mississippi State didn't make any changes to its standard uniform set, aside from brining back the 2015-2019 white helmet design. However, as usual, they did throw a couple of alternate looks into the mix. To commemorate the Mississippi State baseball team winning the National Championship, the M over S logo was worn on the football helmets for the first time ever. The logo was placed on the glossy maroon helmets and was paired with the standard maroon jerseys and white pants. Against Tennessee State, the Bulldogs wore gray jerseys for the second time in program history. A darker gray color than the Bulldogs' previous gray jerseys and pants, these jerseys featured maroon and white accents and were worn with the standard glossy maroon helmets. |
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2022
In 2022, Mississippi State wore special alternate uniforms to honor Frank Dowsing and Robert Bell, the first two African Americans to play football at Mississippi State, during the 50th anniversary of their senior season. The uniforms feature the font and arched lettering from their freshman team jerseys in 1969, but with "MISS. STATE" lettering reminiscent of the '90s era uniforms. The maroon jerseys are rather basic with a simple block font and contrasting white cuffs. The gloss white helmets are an all-new "fauxback" creation, with an "MS" logo based on a vintage illustration from that time period and other details that take further inspiration from the actual varsity helmets of that era. The double-striped pants from the 2020 Flying M throwback uniform complete the look. Later in 2022, the white helmets were re-purposed with an all-new design featuring the script "State" logo previously used by the Mississippi State baseball team. The design featured white facemasks, a single maroon stripe, and the M-State logo on the front bumper. The script "State" logo was also worn on the maroon helmets later in the season, simply replacing the standard M-State logo. An updated version of the white M-State helmets was also worn in 2022, with a single maroon stripe, white facemask, and gloss white finish. Following the tragic passing of Coach Mike Leach in December 2022, Mississippi State wore special pirate flag decals on the left side of the maroon helmets in the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl. The standard M-State logo remained on the right side of the helmets. This was the sixth unique helmet design of 2022, breaking a record for most unique helmet designs in a single season. |
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2023
Mississippi State unveiled a brand new uniform set for the 2023 season featuring a clean and a classic design. All gray accents were removed from the uniforms, with simple maroon and white double stripes (matching the aesthetic established by Mississippi State's baseball uniforms) now adorning the jersey sleeves and pants legs. The "banner" wordmark was removed from the front of the jersey, replaced by a small "M-State" logo on the collar. The pants no longer feature a logo. The uniform is on Adidas's newest template, the "Primeknit A1 Ghost", which features Adidas's refreshed logo that only includes the "three stripes" and omits the "adidas" lettering. The most significant change this uniform set brings is to the helmets. The super popular Script "State" logo made its debut as an alternate helmet design in 2022 and took over as the Bulldogs' primary helmet logo for the 2023 season. This ends a 19-year run of some version of "M-State" logo being on State's primary helmets. Additionally, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the 1998 SEC West Championship team, Mississippi State will wear era-accurate throwbacks to the fan favorite "Interlocking MSU" Nike era uniforms that were originally worn from 1996 to 2003. It marks the first time in 20 years that the "Interlocking MSU" has been worn on a Mississippi State uniform. The throwback matches the details of the original uniforms right down to the "pennant" SEC patch, with only minor differences, such as the sleeve striping ratio + logo size and the obvious replacement of Nike logos with Adidas logos. |
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2024
In 2024, Mississippi State introduced a new one-off "whiteout" alternate uniform. Worn at home against against Florida, these all-white uniforms closely mirrored the design of the standard all-white uniforms, but on the newest Adidas template and with white perforations on the numbers, sleeve stripes, pants stripes, helmet stripe, and helmet logo. Additionally, the Bulldogs introduced updated gray pants in 2024 with no M-State logo on the right hip, the new Adidas logo on the left hip, and thinner maroon-white-maroon stripes. |
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