Where Florida's helmet ranks among college football's best
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
USA TODAY Sports recently ranked the top 25 helmet designs in college football ahead of the 2026 campaign. The Florida Gators made the list, landing just outside the top 10 at No. 11.
"Unlike other SEC powerhouses, the Gators haven't had a consistent helmet design over the past 70 years, going from numbers on the side of the helmet to a basic F (which was worn during Steve Spurrier's Heisman Trophy-winning 1966 season)," authors Jordan Mendoza and Craig Meyer begin.
"In 1979, though, coach Charley Pell introduced a helmet ahead of his first season that has stood the test of time: an orange lid with a white-and-blue stripe down the middle and 'Gators' spelled out in script on the sides. Despite the program's recent struggles, it's a look that has become synonymous with some of the best teams and most explosive offenses in the sport's history."
Florida's iconic helmet was one of five from the Southeastern Conference to make the list, with Texas leading the way at No. 5, followed by LSU at No. 7, Alabama at No. 24 and Oklahoma just making the cut at No. 25. All three major Sunshine State schools were included, with Florida State landing at No. 4 and Miami right behind the Gators at No. 12.
The Big Ten has the most teams mentioned in the rankings with seven among the top 25, followed by the SEC's five, while the ACC has three — four, if you count Notre Dame's partial membership. The Big 12 and Pac-12 have three apiece, followed by two for the Mountain West and one for the American Conference.
Ranking top 25 helmets in college football
- Michigan
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Florida State
- Texas
- Oregon
- LSU
- USC
- Tulane
- UCLA
- Florida
- Miami
- San Diego State
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Pitt
- Arizona State
- Utah
- Penn State
- Nebraska
- Washington State
- Boise State
- Wyoming
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Florida's helmet ranks among college football's best
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos