1965 WVU Football Throwback Uniform
Cue the nostalgia — and the old gold. West Virginia University is throwing it all the way back to 1965 with a special edition uniform that’s more than just a retro look. It's a tribute to one of the most storied seasons in Mountaineer football history — and a design that has never truly been replicated... until now.
the 1965 throwback uniform marks a first-of-its-kind effort from WVU: a true historical replica that brings to life the textures, tones, and traditions of a team that not only dominated the Southern Conference but lit up the scoreboard in a record-setting Backyard Brawl.
“It was an opportunity to do a true throwback, which we haven’t done,” said WVU deputy director of athletics Matt Wells. “We thought with the unique nature of that helmet, and the helmet logo with the baby blue, it was probably the most unique element of any of the past uniforms that we could potentially replicate.”
It’s what turned heads then, and it’s what turns heads now: a three-dimensional navy blue WVU logo, outlined in gold, laid atop a light-blue silhouette of the state of West Virginia. Set against an old gold shell, it looked ahead of its time back in ’65 — like technicolor in a black-and-white world.
The helmet design was so iconic that WVU athletic director Wren Baker made it a personal mission to revisit the look as soon as he spotted it in the Hall of Traditions.
“The inspiration really came shortly after Wren got here,” Wells said. “He was familiarizing himself with the history of Mountaineer football, and he saw the 1965 helmet on display… that started a conversation of, ‘Hey, what can we do with that?’”
Some versions of the original helmet had a single blue stripe, while others didn’t. Split end Bob Dunlevy recalled, with a laugh, that the inconsistency probably came down to the infamous resourcefulness of longtime equipment manager Carl Roberts.
“I kept my helmet because I needed it to play in the North-South game after the season,” Dunlevy said. “I’m sure Carl was probably after me to return it, but I kept it, and I still have it.”
The throwback uniform does more than just replicate an old look — it marks 60 years since WVU’s 1965 conference championship season, a year highlighted by the highest-scoring Backyard Brawl in history, a 63-48 win over Pitt.
While the look came from the past, the design process was very much rooted in the present. Kristin Coldsnow, the creative force behind WVU’s recent themed uniforms, was brought back to lead the design — ensuring everything from the shade of blue to the state outline was authentic. She worked closely with Nike to match every detail.
Equipment staffer Austin Blake helped perfect the helmet’s bumper colors and logo placement, while WVU’s internal uniform brain trust — including Michael Fragale and Joe Swan — all contributed during the design phase.
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