A History of UCLA Bruins Football Uniforms
The UCLA Bruins football team has a rich tradition, marked not only by on-field achievements but also by the evolution of their iconic uniforms. From the early days of dark blue and gold to the modern era of alternate designs, the Bruins' attire has reflected the changing times while maintaining a connection to the program's storied past.
Early Years: 1919-1939
The first UCLA football team took the field in 1919, coached by Fred Cozens. In these nascent years, the Bruins sported dark blue jerseys and socks, the latter adorned with gold horizontal stripes. Wayne Banning, UCLA’s first football captain, donned this initial design.
By 1920, the uniforms evolved to feature dark blue jerseys with three gold stripes around the torso and arms, the center stripe being broader than the others. Photographs from the 1921 Southern Campus showcase these jerseys, along with variations in sock styles, including dark blue socks with a "tall" gold stripe. Numbers, a new addition, were displayed on the back of the jerseys.
The 1930s saw further refinement of the uniform. The year 1939 was particularly significant, not only for UCLA's undefeated season but also for the presence of both Kenny Washington and Jackie Robinson on the team. While it was once believed that the 1939 uniforms were dark blue with "bear" patches on the upper arms, more recent discoveries suggest otherwise. Photos from the Los Angeles Times in October 1939 show Robinson wearing friction-strip jerseys, possibly dating back to the 1938 season. These older jerseys were considered more attractive and distinctive.
Mid-Century Classics: 1954 Throwback
UCLA Football is taking fans back in time with a special uniform tribute to the Bruins' 1954 national championship team. These throwback uniforms feature the unique white stripes across the shoulders, a striking detail that sets them apart from the more familiar gold-accented jerseys Bruins fans know today. The powder-blue jerseys, with their curled, white-striped shoulder pads, pay homage to an era when UCLA was a powerhouse in college football.
Read also: UCLA vs. Illinois: Basketball History
The uniforms are a tribute to legendary head coach Red Sanders and his incredible 1954 team, which went 9-0 and claimed a share of the national title alongside Ohio State. That season was not only a high point for the Bruins but also marked the first year they debuted this now-classic jersey. The decision to bring back the 1954-inspired uniforms goes beyond aesthetics. These jerseys symbolize a golden era for UCLA Football, a time when the Bruins were setting the standard in college athletics.
The Modern Era: 2000s and Beyond
The UCLA Bruins football team has displayed gold and blue proudly ever since the team was founded in 1919. No major changes were made to the uniforms between its founding and the early 2000's. Other than a few small stylistic changes such as font and outline thickness, they have stayed relatively the same. In 2005 the ageless uniforms finally began receiving big changes while at the same time staying true to UCLA school spirit. They shifted from a darker, somewhat reminiscent of Miami Dolphins, blue, to a lighter baby blue that has generally stuck for many of the uniforms in the years after.
The early 2000s marked a turning point, with the introduction of alternate uniforms that broke from tradition. In 2009, UCLA unveiled a powder blue throwback jersey with white stripes, reminiscent of the 1967 team that featured Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban. This uniform debuted triumphantly in a win against Washington.
However, not all alternate uniform choices were met with enthusiasm. The decision to wear all-white uniforms in the annual matchup against USC in 2011 drew criticism, especially after a 50-0 defeat.
The Bruins have also experimented with darker themes. The dark blue "L.A. Nights" uniforms, first worn in 2012, coincided with Johnathan Franklin setting the UCLA all-time rushing record. The "L.A. Midnight" uniforms, black with blue and gold accents, were donned in 2013 during Myles Jack's breakout game. In 2014, the "L.A. Steel" uniform, featuring a grey jersey with blue-and-gold stripes, was introduced for a Homecoming game against Arizona.
Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA
2010 brought no new changes, the same blue and the only change was a small tint difference in the helmets worn by the players, making the helmets a slightly lighter gold compared to before. Everything that 2010 did not change 2015 made sure to blow out of the water, at least with the Bruins' alternate uniforms. Considered an ugly uniform by many fans, dark navy blue, off-hue gold lining and off-putting light blue filled the original alternate uniforms in 2010. In 2015 that was replaced by purely black uniforms with bumble-bee reminiscent gold filling the numbers and nameplates surrounded by a blue lining that could hardly be attributed to the known Bruins' blue.
As for the regular uniforms, UCLA decided to leave them how they were; this, as many uniforms tend to have, became a trend for the next decade. 2020 brought a small change of a darker shade of blue but nothing else noteworthy. 2025, the most recent year, has brought the biggest design change to the uniforms since the 2015 alternates, adding a new diamond pattern to the jerseys in a partnership with adidas. With Nico Iamaleva at the helm, perhaps they are. The smallest change might have been the biggest in 2025, because the Bruins' were added to the Big Ten and henceforth received a Big Ten patch on all of their jerseys.
Adidas and the Clarendon Numbering
Adidas, after figuring out how to get Clarendon numbering on UCLA uniforms, will be rolling out Clarendon numbering on our regular home uniforms instead of the generic block numbering. Now, since Benenoch arrived in Westwood in the summer of 2013, the Bruins haven't worn a single uniform set with Clarendon numbers (with last season's "L.A. Midnight" alternate set featuring a stylized block number) and UCLA hasn't had anything in our traditional home blue with Clarendon in recent memory.
The Future of the Uniform
As time goes on there will certainly be many more changes made to the Bruins' football uniforms, but the small things can really affect the spirit of the crowd. Ugly uniforms can cause the focus of the game to turn to the less than ideal coloring. UCLA has cracked the code on the uniforms, they did so long ago, that is why they have remained so similar for so long and they will most likely stay that way for a.
First, let's take a look at the alternate uniforms we've rolled out over the recent past, which began with the very awesome Gary Beban 1967 throw-back uniforms we wore against Washington in 2009, followed by the now infamous all-white alternates worn against U$C last year, followed by the all-navy blue "L.A. Every one of those uniforms needs to be worked into our regular rotation. The old-school throw-backs should be worn at least once a year, and we should work in the alternates on a semi-regular basis, or at the minimum, work in components of the alternates (for example, use the standard gold helmets and pants with the L.A. Nights alternate jersey). Now, our football team has had some pretty sweet heritage in the old school uniforms featuring Clarendon numbers. Gary Beban won our only Heisman in that style.
Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors
Quick side note: we really need Adidas to get our pants the right shade of gold. Look at how much sharper DeShaun looks compared to Cade and Gary. Just saying. Moreover, if you closely examine Benenoch's uniform, you'll notice that the uniform is made of the "super-stretchy" Adidas tight-fit material of recent vintage, and unfortunately, still features truncated half-ass "shoulder stripes" instead of full-length actual UCLA shoulder stripes. All-in-all, what that does prove is that this isn't an old uniform that the uniform guys dug out of a closet, slapped Benenoch's name on and distributed as a practice uniform. It's a big step in the right direction from Adidas. Let's hope they can put their heads together, maybe take some cues from Nike (who managed to figure out how to put full length shoulder strips in their modern tight-fit uniforms), and get UCLA true, full-length, honest-to-goodness iconic UCLA shoulder stripes on our uniforms.
tags: #ucla #bruins #football #uniforms #history
