College football is a sport filled with traditions. The Penn State Nittany Lions football uniforms are a notable example, with a minimalistic design that eschews flash. This includes no helmet logo, decals, or names on the back of their jerseys.
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In the modern era of college football, head coaches tend to recruit with their uniforms, facilities, and other amenities. Penn State’s uniforms turn back the clock and demonstrate that five-star athletes will join a program with a rich history of winning and success.
Despite the current navy and white color scheme displayed on Penn State’s football uniforms, the original colors were pink and black in 1887. Sunlight and washing the pink and black uniforms led to white and navy blue colors. The school soon adopted navy blue and white as its permanent colors in 1890.
In 1904, Penn State’s nickname and mascot were selected by a student newspaper editor. A local mountain lion was found near Mount Nittany in Centre County. Ultimately, it was likely a cougar or a puma, not a mountain lion. However, Penn State chose to keep itself tied to the Nittany Lions nickname.
Over the decades, Penn State’s football uniforms have undergone modifications, starting with the addition of numbers on the front and back of the jersey in 1930. The location of stripes throughout various parts of the jersey and helmets alternated from their introduction in 1954 until 2011, when the Nittany Lions removed stripes from their sleeves and collars.
Penn State’s Nittany Lions logo was added underneath the collar of the jersey in 2013. Names were briefly added to the back of jerseys in 2012, following the school’s Jerry Sandusky scandal. In 2015, during current head coach James Franklin’s second season with the program, last names were removed, providing a more traditional visual.
Grey facemasks are another alternate design, replacing the modern navy blue facemask. These were worn for nearly three decades before switching to navy blue in 1987. White sleeve stripes return in the “Generations of Greatness” alternate uniform, accompanied by a navy blue vertical stripe on either side of the white pants. The block numbering font was also introduced on these alternate uniforms.
Penn State values its origin by continuing to wear uniforms with a minimalist design. Even their alternate uniforms reference previous generations, implementing several new wrinkles that were previously worn, while avoiding excessive flashiness.
The Penn State Nittany Lions' football uniforms have undergone several new designs since their inception in 1887. In 2025, the team continues to embrace its classic look, allowing the program to stand out against other schools.
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