CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — The Illinois football team will wear three retro helmets during Memorial Stadium's 100th anniversary season, it was announced Tuesday. The helmet designs span nearly 50 years of the Fighting Illini program from 1962 to 2012 and will be worn through the 2024 season at Memorial Stadium.
“We are excited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium and the history of our program with a special season,” said the head coach. Brett Bielema“Our helmets will honor a different era each week, appealing to all fans, regardless of age, and reviving fond memories of Memorial Stadium for alumni and Illinois families. We look forward to sharing more details about the rest of our Centennial celebration plans in the coming days.”
The helmet schedule for Memorial Stadium's 100th anniversary season will be announced at a later date.
Illinois will be selling a select number of game-used retro helmets, and information on how to purchase the helmets will be announced in the coming weeks.
4 starsPopularized during Dick Butkus' time at Illinois, the Fighting Illini famously wore a version of the four-star helmet from 1962 to 1968. The player's number was emblazoned beneath the four stars, and the helmet featured a gray facemask with a white, blue and white stripe down the center. Butkus and the University of Illinois wore the helmet en route to a Big Ten title in 1963 and a Rose Bowl victory over the University of Washington in 1964. First-team All-Americans who wore the Illinois four-star helmet include Butkus (1963, 1964), College Football Hall of Fame FB Jim Grabowski (1964, 1965), T Archie Sutton (1964) and DB George Donnelly (1964).
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Arched IlliniIllinois wore the arched Illini helmet from 1971 to 1987. The size of the facemask, helmet stripes and decals changed throughout that time. The 2024 version will feature a gray facemask and a rhythmic center stripe of blue, white, orange, white and blue. Head coach Mike White led Illinois to a perfect 9-0 record in the Big Ten Conference during the 1983 season and played in the 1984 Rose Bowl wearing the Arched Illinois helmet. Other First Team All-Americans to wear the Arched Illinois helmet include College Football Hall of Famers WR David Williams (1984, 1985), K Dan Beaver (1975) and T Don Thorpe (1983).
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Underlined IllinoisIllinois wore a version of the underlined Illinois helmet from 1989 to 2012. From 1989 to 2004, the original version featured a solid white underlined Illinois, before adding a blue line in 2005. The 2024 helmet will feature a white facemask and a blue, white and blue central stripe. The Fighting Illini won two Big Ten titles wearing the underlined Illinois helmets in 1990 and 2001 and also wore the helmets to the Sugar Bowl in 2002 and the Rose Bowl in 2008. First-team All-Americans who wore the underlined Illinois helmets include College Football Hall of Famers DT Moe Gardner (1989, 1990), LB Darrick Brownlow (1990), G Tim Simpson (1991), College Football Hall of Famers LB Dana Howard (1993, 1994), LB Simeon Rice (1994, 1995), LB Kevin Hardy (1995), LB J. Leman (2007), G Martin O'Donnell (2007), and DE Whitney Mercilus (2011).
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