The (Somewhat) Complete UConn Uniform History, Part IV

Here we go: the final installment in our four-part series on the history of UConn's uniforms, in honor of the Huskies going from 1-11 to a bowl game in one year. It'll be better than most film franchises that make it to a Part IV ... I think.

Previous chapters: Part I, Part II, Part III.

2000: A new century (well, unless you're one of those ninnies who thinks 2000 belongs in the 20th century), and a new classification, as the Huskies play their first season at the FBS (I-A) level. Although UConn wasn't slated to join the Big East until 2005 (later moved up to 2004 after the team did so well as an independent "transitional" program), the team still added a tiny Big East patch to replace the Atlantic 10 version from '99.

2002: And so we begin another run of year-to-year changes. Red is dumped in favor of silver as a secondary color, a  block "UC" logo is used on the helmets for this year only, and the uniforms get a massive overhaul in favor of a new manufacturer: AEROPOSTALE, makers of fine clothing for mallrats everywhere. (They're still around, although shopping malls are going the way of the wishbone offense.) A small patch on the front celebrates the Huskies' first season at Rentschler Field, since renamed Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, but known to everyone as The Rent.

I'll say this about the jerseys: They don't really resemble anyone else's design from the era, since UConn eschewed  any of the conventional suppliers of the day (Russell, Nike, Reebok, etc.). I don't think too many other teams were using Machine font for names and numbers, for example. 

2003: Another year, another overhaul. The "UC" on the helmet is replaced by a big "C," or as I call it, the "Randy Edsall C," in honor of the coach who introduced (and later revived) it. The numbers are in a narrower version of the font the Huskies use to this day. Aeropostale remains the supplier, thus the jerseys still look different from everyone else's; check out the "CONNECTICUT" in an arc (almost like a basketball or baseball jersey) and the sleeve striping with the "C" in the middle.

I am the proud owner of a 2003 UConn jersey, and I took a deeper look at it in this post.

2004: This was the year UConn formally joined the Big East, and won its first bowl game to boot. For all the talk of the Huskies' decline (OK, I was one of the talkers), It's amazing how quickly they went from FCS to bowl game while playing in a decent conference. UConn trotted out its fourth design in as many years, this time with Nike as the supplier. The number font and the "CONNECTICUT" wordmark are carried over form Aeropostale design. The most notable changes were in the shoulder and sleeve stripes, and some funky stripes were added to the pants.

2009: After several years of stability, UConn made some changes for '09: Silver pants, player names and the "CONNECTICUT" wordmark were all discarded, and the numbers were fattened to the version the Huskies have used ever since (albeit with many different designs). I always liked this streamlined look, although the striping is pretty dated today.

This also was the uniform UConn wore when it went to the Fiesta Bowl after the 2010 season, the unquestioned high point of its FBS existence.

2013: With Randy Edsall (and the glory years) in the past, UConn makes another overhaul, highlighted by a pair of  very bizarre helmets with a sliver of a husky head on the front, blank sides and a big "UCONN" on the back. Much of the striping from the 2009 uniform remains same, but red returns as a trim color. A "UCONN" wordmark is added to the jersey front, along with the logo for the American Athletic Conference, the successor to the Big East. 

2015: The Huskies change their look again, this time with something a little more conventional. The husky head is moved to the helmet sides and the weird striping is discarded in favor of a diagonal blue-and-white pattern on the sleeves. And speaking of weird, check out the all-gray alternate uniform. 

2018: Randy Edsall returned as coach a year earlier, and his big "C" helmet returns in '18, in both white and blue models. The rest of the uniform remains the same, although the gray alternate is discarded.

2019: The rest of the uniform is redesigned, bearing a passing resemblance to the 2009 version, but with more conventional striping — a pleasant uniform trend nationwide the last few years. Red is retired yet again. The Huskies wear both the "C" and husky head designs on white and blue helmets. This was the last year UConn wore the AAC patch before it went to independent status in 2020.

I'll get to 2022 after the Huskies' bowl game.