The Big 12 Conference space on social media is clearly itching to talk some football, because the conversation has already devolved to bragging about alternate uniforms.
Not the standards, not the road jerseys, not the home uniforms. No, we're talking about blackout uniforms in the college football space, and it's getting serious. Which program has the best black uniforms in football?
My response matches that of Harrison Ford when asked during a late-night appearance on Conan what the color of Indiana Jones' original whip was. I join my voice with the legendary actor in regard to this digital kerfuffle. Who has the best black uniforms in football? "Who gives a [expletive]?!"
Cincinnati got the ball rolling, by posting a simple picture with a simple caption: "The best black uniform in football."
The best black uniform in football. pic.twitter.com/j5JUgvuWwY
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) May 12, 2026
Their Big 12 rivals couldn't keep themselves away from their touchscreens, of course, as the league banded together to boldly declare that -- get this -- they are the owners of the best black uniforms in football, and there could be no denying this.
Some teams really shouldn't have even gotten involved in the first place. UCF, I love you, but please sit this one out. And hire a new team of designers in the meantime.
In their defense, I suppose they didn't say they had the best black uniforms, per se, but bragged about the quantity of black variations. On the left, you have mediocrity, and on the right is another slightly-altered flavor of mediocrity.
Imagine only having one black uniform https://t.co/q1UU25fqet pic.twitter.com/WS87SRGauS
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) May 12, 2026
Utah threw their hat in the ring. Ohio State. Iowa State. Arizona State. Kansas. It's gotten completely ridiculous.
But if I look within myself, I think my disdain for black uniforms has to be derived from BYU football's completely humiliating history donning the dark.
First debuting for a home game against Oregon State in 2012, BYU went all-in on the blackout gimmick, even painting the endzones black in a Dwight Shrute-esque attempt to strike fear into the heart of their adversaries. It didn't work, as the 10th-ranked Beavers stomped the Cougars, 42-24.
The next three appearances of the blackout uniforms actually turned out well for the team, though, with wins over UNLV, Utah State, and San Diego State. The two most recent appearances of the uniforms, however, have led BYU fans to believe that the uniforms could be cursed, as the team lost to Notre Dame in the Shamrock Series in 2022, and were subsequently demolished against Iowa State at home in 2023.
BYU hasn't worn black on the football field since.
The royal is BYU's signature look. It's clean, identifiable, and pops off the screen, while the team's vintage block numbers and shoulder stripes haven't translated aesthetically to the modern blackout style.
So I don't care who has the best black uniforms in college football, because I hope BYU never wears them again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google