BYU is set to begin their second season in the Big 12 this fall, and fans are nostalgic about the upcoming matchup against Kansas State, which was absent in their first season.
The last encounter between the Cougars and Wildcats was in the 1997 Cotton Bowl, following BYU’s remarkable 1996 campaign. That season, BYU finished with a 13-1 record and defeated Kansas State 19-15, earning their 14th win and finishing No. 5 in the AP poll.
This season is considered one of BYU’s best, second only to their undefeated, national-title-winning season of 1984. They ended the year 14-1, with victories over Texas A&M, Utah, Wyoming (in the WAC Title Game), and Kansas State.
The Steve Sarkisian-led team is the only BYU squad to achieve 14 wins in program history. LaVell Edwards’ team was the first college program to win 14 games since 1903.
To commemorate both the 100th anniversary of BYU football and the 1996 season that concluded with the Cotton Bowl victory, BYU will wear throwback uniforms against Kansas State on September 21.
The uniforms feature the classic block Y logo on the shoulders, with black piping along the numbers, shoulder stripes, and helmet stripes.
BYU last wore this style of uniform in 1998, before switching to the navy and tan design in 1999.
While these colors and font evoke memories of 1996 for BYU fans, they were not the uniforms worn against Kansas State on January 1, 1997. During the 1996 season, BYU sported the all-white look against Washington, which resulted in their only loss of the season, a 29-17 defeat in Seattle.
Fans have long hoped to see the Cougars wear a mid-1990s style throwback, including the block Y logo and black accents. Now, the Cougars will don these uniforms again in September.
BYU has continued to evolve their uniforms, revealing royal and navy helmets ahead of the 2021 season and wearing gradient black uniforms with the Sailor Coug logo for the New Mexico Bowl in 2022.
These throwback uniforms will now join the mix. Fans are encouraged to wear white for the game to enhance the “white out” atmosphere. The team also announced they will honor the 1996 team during the Kansas State game that weekend.
