The Penn State Nittany Lions got their first look at the team's jerseys for a Sept. 30 game against Indiana.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will debut throwback uniforms when the football team plays Indiana on Sept. 30. But the uniforms won't call to mind just one bygone era.
The white helmets will sport blue numbers on the sides, like the team wore from the 1950s through the early '70s. The players will also wear white cleats calling to mind the 1979 Sugar Bowl. The jerseys will have white trim on the shoulders, as they were during the 1982 and 1986 national championship seasons.
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— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) June 16, 2017
Coach James Franklin says the uniforms are a perfect fit for what Penn State is dubbing its "Generations of Greatness" game — a tribute to various eras of the team.
Franklin says the retro uniform "shows and reinforces all the tremendous history and tradition that we have here."
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— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) June 15, 2017
Game Day Elements
- Videoboard -- The Beaver Stadium scoreboards in the North and South end zone will be a flipboard display from the 1950s.
- Music -- The in-game music will be a variety of hits from the 1950s to today.
- Cheer and Dance Teams -- The Penn State cheerleaders and Lionettes will wear historic outfits.
- Honorary Captains -- The coin toss is slated to have honorary captains to represent the 1950s to today.
- Blue Band -- The Blue Band will perform music throughout the game from 1950s to today.
Uniform Elements
- Numbers on Helmets -- The Nittany Lions had the number on the side of their helmet from 1959-61 and then again from 1967-74. A No. 42 also appeared on the side of every Penn State helmet in the season finale against Wisconsin in 2012 to honor injured senior Michael Mauti.
- Block Uniform Numbers -- The block uniform numbers are similar to those uniform numbers that donned the Blue & White from mid-1950s-66.
- White Stripe on Sleeve -- Penn State's uniform had a white stripe on the sleeve several times, including 1957-66, 1982-89 and 1992-2011.
- Stripe on the Pants -- The Nittany Lions had a blue stripe on their pants from 1952-68.
- Striped Socks -- The striped sock pays tribute to those worn on game days from 1970-72.
- Gray Facemask -- The gray facemask was donned by the Nittany Lions from 1959-86.
- White Cleats -- The white cleats were worn by the Nittany Lions in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.
- Gloves -- The gloves for the Indiana game will feature the Lion Shrine on the palm of the hands.
- Lion Shrine -- The image of Lion Shrine appears on the "home plate" of the front of the jersey. It is an original element of the "Generations of Greatness" uniform to pay homage to the Lion Shrine that was a gift from the Class of 1940.
- Back Inside Collar -- The back inside collar of the jersey reads "Penn State 1959" in recognition of the first Liberty Bowl game, played in Philadelphia. Penn State defeated Alabama, 7-0.
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