Photo by: Columbia University Athletics
Evolution of the Columbia Football Uniform
11/3/2020 4:23:00 PM | Football
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Unlike Columbia’s football helmets through the years, the Lions’ uniforms have seen very little change since 1946, until recently when Head Coach Al Bagnoli introduced several new colors.
NEW YORK—Since the Columbia Football program began in 1870, Columbia has sported a variety of different uniforms and helmets, all within the university's official color scheme of Light Blue and White.
Typically, the program experienced uniform and helmet change upon the introduction of a new head coach. Today's feature is the second part of a two-day story on Columbia Football helmets and uniforms. Yesterday, we published a story on football helmets throughout the years.
After a pre-World War II-era which saw Columbia compete in classic light blue uniforms with a dark blue shoulder and four stripes down the center and mustard-colored pants, Columbia first switched to the full light blue jerseys, white numbers, and gray pants under legendary coach Lou Little in 1946. The Lions switched to white pants in 1952. Columbia would wear light blue jerseys at home and white jerseys with either white or blue pants on the road. That uniform combination remained for the most part until 2014.
When Head Coach Al Bagnoli was hired in 2015, he introduced several new colors into Columbia's uniform combination: dark blue, pewter gray and anthracite gray. In 2015, the Lions added an anthracite gray and in 2016, Columbia introduced dark blue into the scheme. In 2018, Bagnoli added pewter gray to the mix. With those additions, the Lions can now put together more uniform combinations than at any other time in school history. In 2015, Bagnoli also was the first to put the modern-day lion on the side of Columbia's white helmet. He also introduced the New York City skyline to the back of the helmets in 2018.
Columbia wore throwback uniforms in one game in an Oct. 18, 2003 Homecoming contest against Penn. As part of the University's 250th anniversary celebration, Columbia wore jerseys to honor the 1933 Rose Bowl champion team and helmets to honor the 1961 team that captured the Ivy League championship.
Research conducted and graphics provided by Gridiron Garb blog: http://gridirongarb.blogspot.com. The Gridiron Garb is a blog about college football uniforms in New England and a few other places.
Typically, the program experienced uniform and helmet change upon the introduction of a new head coach. Today's feature is the second part of a two-day story on Columbia Football helmets and uniforms. Yesterday, we published a story on football helmets throughout the years.
After a pre-World War II-era which saw Columbia compete in classic light blue uniforms with a dark blue shoulder and four stripes down the center and mustard-colored pants, Columbia first switched to the full light blue jerseys, white numbers, and gray pants under legendary coach Lou Little in 1946. The Lions switched to white pants in 1952. Columbia would wear light blue jerseys at home and white jerseys with either white or blue pants on the road. That uniform combination remained for the most part until 2014.When Head Coach Al Bagnoli was hired in 2015, he introduced several new colors into Columbia's uniform combination: dark blue, pewter gray and anthracite gray. In 2015, the Lions added an anthracite gray and in 2016, Columbia introduced dark blue into the scheme. In 2018, Bagnoli added pewter gray to the mix. With those additions, the Lions can now put together more uniform combinations than at any other time in school history. In 2015, Bagnoli also was the first to put the modern-day lion on the side of Columbia's white helmet. He also introduced the New York City skyline to the back of the helmets in 2018.
Columbia wore throwback uniforms in one game in an Oct. 18, 2003 Homecoming contest against Penn. As part of the University's 250th anniversary celebration, Columbia wore jerseys to honor the 1933 Rose Bowl champion team and helmets to honor the 1961 team that captured the Ivy League championship.
Research conducted and graphics provided by Gridiron Garb blog: http://gridirongarb.blogspot.com. The Gridiron Garb is a blog about college football uniforms in New England and a few other places.
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