Blue through the years

PROVO — BYU's football uniforms for 2005 evoke the Victorian Age good-luck adage for brides-to-be: "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

The new uniforms boast an old-school look, borrowing from the Cougars' well-recognized design during the LaVell Edwards era. Seemingly the only difference from the 2005 line and the versions worn from the 1970s through the 1990s is the shade of blue.

In other words, dub the Cougars' new duds as "Back to the Future."

Or at least a return to a standard suggesting stability. With three uniform changes the past half-dozen seasons, the Cougars tended to resemble quick-change artists.

"Once you have a symbol that reflects greatness, it should not be changed," said new BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall when the Cougars unveiled their new line earlier this spring. "Consistency is key to a lasting tradition."

But outfitting the Cougars has been anything but consistent. The BYU football uniform and accompanying helmet have seen plenty of changes over the past half-century.

Gone now are the tan accents, the UCLA stripes, the piping, the who-knows-what-we're-wearing-this-game combinations — all joining the much-ridiculed "bib" jersey feature as part of BYU's football-fashion past.

Instead, the Cougars are decked out in home uniforms that feature a dark-blue jersey and white pants and reversed road uniforms — white jersey and blue pants. The striping on the jersey sleeves and down the pant legs is what is called the "Northwestern" style, a wide stripe sandwiched between a pair of narrower stripes.

Also returning after a six-season absence is the white helmet, complete with dual-blue striping and the recognizable dark-blue ovals containing the white block "Y." Another encore helmet feature is decals to be distributed to players for outstanding performance — now off the field as much as on the field.

The most noticeable difference between the 2005 "retro" or "throwback" style and the uniforms of the 1970s through 1990s is the color of blue. The current darker blue — officially registered as "BYU Blue" — arrived in 1999, when the university unleased a new logo, new color schemes and wholesale football-uniform changes.

That's when many of the BYU "blue-bloods" cried foul, saying the Cougars shouldn't forsake a "truer" blue for a shade more in line with in-state rival Utah State. Some had hoped BYU might revert back to more royal-blue hues along with the traditional design this year.