Crimson pitchfork
A classic that can’t go wrong. The Hoosiers rocked this look with solidarity from 2001 until 2013, when IU Athletics unveiled five new helmets designs. This design in particular has seen many alterations over the years, featuring a pink pitchfork in support of breast cancer awareness (right on) and, under former head coach Sam Wyche, an italic pitchfork (just ... why?).
Two-tone pitchfork/ numerical
A slight variation of the crimson pitchfork that somehow earned its own place in the rotation, these helmets look best white-on-white with the away uniforms. They come in two versions: numerical and pitchfork. Though not bad per se, they’re about as vanilla as the color suggests.
Block “I”
A callback to the most successful era of IU football under coach Bill Mallory and star running back Anthony Thompson, the Block “I” makes up for in history what it lacks in aesthetics. The Hoosiers played six of their nine bowl games in program history in these helmets. If throwing it back somehow helps IU feel more in touch with those days, I’m all for it. There’s no “I” in team, but there is in victory.
State flag crimson and two-tone
IU Coach Kevin Wilson said these helmets serve as a reminder to athletes that they’re playing for more than just themselves or the school. As the Hoosiers don’t have a mascot, the state flag is as good a symbol as any to take pride in. IU also picked up its biggest win in the past decade on the road at No. 18 Mizzou in these helmets. If that doesn’t make you want to burst into a rendition of “On the Banks of the Wabash,” are you really a Hoosier at all?
Crimson and chrome
These helmets are flashy — as in, they’ll blind opponents if the sun is hitting them right. A favorite among players and many Hoosier football fans, you either love or hate the crimson and chrome. Though meant to invoke the classic candy stripe warm-ups of IU basketball and swimming and diving, these new age helmets scream modern and trendy, more like something you’d expect out of Eugene, Oregon, than Bloomington. Regardless, they get the team fired up and instill athletes with a sense of swagger. Though the age crimson and chrome has been met with poor results thus far, perhaps a few decades from now this look will be iconic of when IU football first began to turn it around.
Indiana script
Not only did the Hoosiers pick up a pivotal come-from-behind win against Western Kentucky in this helmet’s debut, but they did it in style. Invoking the traditional logo from the back of IU basketball warmups with just the right combination of class and flare, this look should become a staple in the game day repertoire, with a number of fans signing a petition to make the change permanent.
