Throwbacks are the best thing happening in sports uniforms right now, and this weekend proves it. On Saturday, October 24, UCLA wears its 1954 powder blue, No. 1 Miami wears its 2001 Tribute and Calgary pulls out its 2004 red. On Sunday, October 25, the Falcons wear their 1966 throwback, the Jets wear the Classic, the Seahawks wear royal blue on Sunday Night Football, the Pacers and Nets meet in ABA throwbacks, and the Jets and Canadiens play the Heritage Classic outdoors in Winnipeg. That is the deepest throwback weekend we have ever tracked.
So we ranked all of them. Every notable throwback being worn in the 2026-27 seasons, college football first, then the NFL, NBA, NHL and a quick look back at MLB, with our grade and every date we can confirm. Every uniform below is shown from the team's own post or release. Some of these are the best uniforms in their sport. One of them is a throwback that forgot to bring any color.
Tell us who we got wrong.
The Short List: Our Five Best Throwbacks Right Now
- UCLA 1954 powder blue (college football), Saturday vs Michigan State
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle (NFL), December 6 vs the Chargers
- Indiana Pacers Classic Threads (NBA), starting Sunday at Brooklyn
- Cal Joe Roth uniforms (college football), worn September 5 vs UCLA
- Denver Broncos Orange Crush (NFL), Week 18 vs the Chargers
The full rankings, league by league, are below.
College Football Throwbacks 2026, Ranked
College football is where the throwback is best right now, because schools are not limited to one alternate and they tie them to real teams. Here are the six that matter this season, counting down.
6. Arizona "Classic Look" B
Worn: Saturday, October 24 vs Iowa State, Homecoming (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Arizona posted "classic look for homecoming" on Thursday: a white helmet with the red block A and red and navy stripes down the middle, a navy jersey with white numbers trimmed in red, and white pants. It is Homecoming in Tucson and the 100th year of Bear Down.
Our take: it looks great, and the white helmet with the red and navy center stripes is a sharp piece. But "classic look" is doing a lot of work. Arizona did not tie it to a season or a team, so it reads as a clean alternate dressed in old clothes rather than a true throwback. Pick a year and we will grade it higher. Arizona uniform schedule.
5. Florida Spurrier Throwback A-
Worn: October 10 vs South Carolina. Florida's "Retro unlocked" set honors the 60th anniversary of Steve Spurrier's 1966 Heisman season: a royal blue helmet with an orange and white center stripe and the block F inside a white oval, a white jersey with blue-orange-blue shoulder stripes, and white pants.
via Florida Gators Football
Our take: the jersey is gorgeous and the shoulder stripes are exactly right. The helmet is from the wrong year. Spurrier won the Heisman in a white helmet, and the oval F does not show up until 1967. Florida chose the better-looking helmet over the accurate one, and we would have too, but call it a 1960s throwback, not a 1966 one. Our full Florida throwback review.
4. Arizona State "Roses & Devils" A
Worn: no date announced yet. The 1986 look, the uniform Arizona State wore to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day 1987, back for the 40th anniversary: a gold helmet with the full-body Sparky, a maroon jersey with ARIZONA STATE in white block letters across the chest, and gold pants with a maroon and white stripe.
Our take: the best reveal of the offseason, and it is October and we still have not seen it in a game. Holding your best uniform this long is a mistake. Roses & Devils, graded.
3. Cal Joe Roth Uniforms A
via Cal Football
Worn: September 5 vs UCLA. Cal brought back the uniforms of the Joe Roth era for the opener: a gold helmet, a royal blue jersey and gold pants, with a No. 12 patch. Roth was Cal's quarterback in 1975 and 1976, finished ninth in the Heisman voting in 1976 while playing with melanoma, and died in February 1977 at 21. His No. 12 is the only retired number in Cal football history.
Our take: the most meaningful throwback of the year and one of the best looking. Gold helmets and gold pants on both teams made the Cal-UCLA opener a beauty. Our Joe Roth uniform grade.
2. Miami 2001 Tribute A
Worn: Saturday, October 24 vs Pitt (noon ET, ESPN). The 2001 Tribute, 25 years after the last Hurricanes team to win a national title: a white helmet with the orange and green U and an orange center stripe trimmed in green, an orange jersey with white numbers trimmed in green, and white pants with a green and orange side stripe.
Our take: this is Miami at its purest, its own orange, green and white arranged the way the greatest team in school history wore them, and the timing is perfect with this year's team at No. 1 and 6-0. It is a hair behind UCLA only because powder blue and gold is the most beautiful color pairing in the sport. One more thing: the set also has a white road version over green pants, and it still has no date. Wear it.
Both halves of the 2001 set: orange home, and the white road set with green pants. Image: Miami Hurricanes and adidas
Every detail is in our Miami 2001 throwback breakdown.
1. UCLA 1954 Powder Blue A+
Worn: Saturday, October 24 vs Michigan State, Homecoming (12:30 p.m. PT, CBS). UCLA posted its "Homecoming threads" with Jordan Brand on Wednesday: the lighter powder blue jersey with white shoulder stripes and white numbers, the metallic gold helmet and gold pants, the look honoring UCLA's 1954 national champions.
Our take: this is the most beautiful uniform in college football and it is not close. Powder blue and gold is a color pair nobody else in the sport owns, and swapping the gold shoulder loops for white is the detail that makes it. Our only complaint is the same one we have every year. This should not be a once-a-season homecoming treat. It should be the home uniform. UCLA uniform schedule and every look this weekend in our Week 8 college uniform guide.
NFL Throwbacks 2026, Ranked
The NFL lets teams rotate a throwback or alternate a few times a year, and 2026 has the best throwback lineup the league has had in years. Here are eleven, counting down.
11. New York Jets "The Classic" B
Worn: Sunday, October 25 vs Miami. The Classic is a white uniform, a nod to the 1968 Super Bowl III team, with a white helmet and a gray facemask. For its First Responders Appreciation game, the team confirmed white helmet, white jersey and white pants.
Our take: the miss of the NFL list. The Jets own one of the best greens in sports and wore it to a Super Bowl title. A throwback to that team that is almost entirely white leaves the best part in the closet. Head to toe white is the least interesting way to honor a team people remember for green. Jets uniform schedule.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars Prowler Throwback B+
Worn: Week 3 vs New England. Next: Week 14 vs Pittsburgh. The throwback black helmet, throwback teal jersey and throwback white pants. Teal is the best color Jacksonville has, and this set uses more of it than anything else in the closet. Jaguars uniform schedule.
9. San Francisco 49ers 1994 Throwbacks A-
Dates: Week 10 at Dallas (red), Week 15 at the Chargers on Thursday night (white), Week 17 vs Philadelphia (red). The Super Bowl XXIX look, deep red, the oversized striping, shown here in the white version from a 49ers giveaway post. Three dates is the right amount, and a red throwback at Dallas is a great call. 49ers uniform schedule.
8. Atlanta Falcons 1966 Throwback A-
Dates: Sunday, October 25 vs San Francisco and Sunday, December 6 vs Detroit. The red helmet, black jersey and white pants, with tri-color socks. Red took over as the home jersey in the April redesign, so these are the only two games all season Atlanta wears black.
Our take: the red helmet is the best helmet Atlanta has ever worn, and it is a shame it gets two days a year. Red shell, black jersey, against the 49ers' white and gold on Sunday is one of the best matchups of the week. Falcons uniform schedule.
7. Seattle Seahawks Royal Blue Throwback A-
Dates: Week 6 at Denver (worn), Sunday, October 25 vs Kansas City on Sunday Night Football, Week 13 vs Dallas on Monday night. All three in primetime. At Denver it came with the silver helmet and silver pants.
Our take: royal blue and silver looks better than the navy and action green Seattle wears every week, and Seattle clearly knows it, because it only brings it out when the whole country is watching. Seahawks uniform schedule.
6. Miami Dolphins White Throwback A
Date: Week 14 vs Chicago, December 13. Aqua numbers outlined in orange, aqua and orange sleeve stripes and the leaping dolphin. One date is not enough. This is the best uniform the Dolphins own and they should just wear it. Dolphins uniform schedule.
5. New York Giants Legacy Blue A
Dates: October 4 vs Arizona (worn) and December 6 vs San Francisco. The look the Giants wore from 1980 through 1999: a navy wordmark helmet with a white facemask, a royal blue jersey with red and white trim, and white pants with red and blue stripes, for the 40th anniversary of the Super Bowl XXI team. Giants uniform schedule.
4. New England Patriots Pat Patriot A
Dates: October 11 vs Las Vegas (worn) and Thursday, December 10 vs Minnesota. The red Pat Patriot throwback, white helmet, red jersey and white pants, worn in Week 5 on the day the team honored the 25th anniversary of its first Super Bowl champions. Patriots uniform schedule.
3. Philadelphia Eagles Kelly Green A
Dates: Sunday, November 8 vs the Giants and Thursday, December 24 vs Houston. The 1990s throwback that returned in 2023, and still the jersey that gets the loudest reaction in the league. Week 9 gets better, because the Giants come in wearing their Vintage White throwback. Eagles uniform schedule.
2. Denver Broncos Orange Crush A
Dates: Week 6 vs Seattle (worn), Week 18 vs the Chargers. The royal blue helmet with the orange D and the white bronco inside it, the orange jersey with white numbers outlined in blue, white pants and striped socks. Week 6 against Seattle was throwback against throwback on Thursday night.
Our take: the best uniform Denver owns, and two games is the problem. This is not a costume. It is the team the fan base still pictures when it closes its eyes. Broncos uniform schedule.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Creamsicle A+
Date: Sunday, December 6 vs the Los Angeles Chargers (1 p.m. ET). The '76 Jersey, the creamsicle, the warmest and brightest uniform in the NFL, with Bucco Bruce on the helmet. Nothing else in the league looks like it, and nothing ever has. The Chargers bring their gold Charger Power jersey to Tampa that day, which makes it the best looking game of the season on paper. Buccaneers uniform schedule.
Circle December 6. The Falcons 1966, the Giants Legacy Blue and the Bucs creamsicle all land on the same Sunday.
NBA Throwbacks 2026-27: The ABA Classic Editions, Ranked
The NBA's throwbacks this season are the Classic Editions from the four former ABA teams, built for the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger, and each comes with its own court. Our grades are for the jerseys.
4. Denver Nuggets "Throwback Nights" B
Photos: Denver Nuggets
First date: December 27 vs Indiana. Bright orange with DENVER arched across the chest, the colors of the Denver Rockets. A good, simple throwback that looks nothing like the rest of the navy and gold Nuggets closet, which holds it back.
3. San Antonio Spurs Classic Edition B
Photos: San Antonio Spurs
First date: November 4 vs Dallas. Silver with the original arched SPURS wordmark, recreating the home look from the HemisFair Arena days after the move from Dallas in 1973. A nice silver, and that is about it.
2. Brooklyn Nets Classic Edition A-
Photos: Brooklyn Nets
16 dates, starting October 21 vs Charlotte. White with the red Nets script and red, white and blue piping, for 60 seasons of Nets basketball. A great classic. We just wish the piping was bigger.
1. Indiana Pacers "Classic Threads" A+
Photo: Indiana Pacers
15 dates, starting Sunday, October 25 at Brooklyn. The blue ABA road uniform from 1971 to 1974, with a white arched INDIANA, yellow block numbers and an asymmetrical racing stripe. The best throwback in the NBA this season, and Sunday's game is ABA throwback against ABA throwback. All the dates and courts are in our Classic Edition ranking.
NHL Throwbacks 2026-27, Ranked
The NHL is in a throwback mood this season rather than a rebrand mood. These are the ones we can show you.
5. Buffalo Sabres Goathead B+
10 dates, starting October 10 vs Utah (worn). Next: November 8 vs Vegas. Black and red, the 1996 to 2006 era, and the sweater a generation of Buffalo fans grew up with. Down from 15 games to 10, which is the right number. Sabres uniform schedule.
4. Winnipeg Jets Heritage Classic A-
Date: Sunday, October 25 vs Montreal, outdoors at Princess Auto Stadium (7 p.m. ET). White, built on the Jets look of the 1980s and 1990s, with the round vintage crest cut from felt and navy and red stripes on the arms, hem and socks. Red pants. Heritage Classic jerseys, graded.
3. Calgary Flames 2004 Throwback A
Dates: Saturday, October 24 vs Detroit, December 26 vs Vancouver, December 29 vs San Jose, January 9 vs Tampa Bay. The red home from the run to Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final: the black Flaming C, Blasty on the shoulders and the chevron waist stripes. Worn once against each of the four 2004 playoff opponents in the last season at the Saddledome. A sentimental, smart idea. Flames uniform schedule.
2. St. Louis Blues '90s Retro A
Dates: January 3 vs Calgary and January 28 vs Colorado. Loud, red and yellow on blue, and a lot of fun. Shown here from its outing last season. Two nights is exactly right for something this loud. Blues uniform schedule.
1. Montreal Canadiens Heritage Classic A
Date: Sunday, October 25 at Winnipeg. Red with a single blue chest band, a redrawn felt CH and, for the first time on a Canadiens jersey, the words "Les Habitants." It is simpler than the Jets' sweater, and that is why we like it more. Different enough to feel special, close enough that it is still unmistakably Montreal.
MLB Throwbacks 2026: A Quick Look Back
The baseball season is over, but the best throwback night of the year was in August.
Field of Dreams, August 13, Dyersville, Iowa. The Phillies wore their 1939 to 1941 road set, with the slanted red Phillies script and the 1939 baseball centennial sleeve patch. The Twins wore 1961, their first season in Minnesota: white with navy pinstripes and the Minnie and Paul sleeve patch. We gave the Phillies an A- and the Twins a B, and Philadelphia's set is No. 1 in our ranking of every Field of Dreams uniform ever worn.
The Bottom Line
The best throwback in sports right now is UCLA's 1954 powder blue, and it is not even UCLA's regular uniform, which is the whole problem. The same goes for the Broncos' Orange Crush, the Dolphins' white and the Bucs' creamsicle: the best uniform each team owns, rationed to a game or two. The misses are rare and they come from the same mistake. The Jets' Classic goes all white for a team famous for green, and Miami picked the orange half of a set whose white and green half is better. Start with this weekend: UCLA and Miami on Saturday, the Falcons, Seahawks, Pacers and the Heritage Classic on Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What throwback uniforms are being worn this weekend, October 24-25, 2026?
Saturday: UCLA's 1954 powder blue vs Michigan State, Miami's 2001 Tribute vs Pitt, Arizona's classic Homecoming look vs Iowa State and the Calgary Flames' 2004 red vs Detroit. Sunday: the Falcons' 1966 throwback vs San Francisco, the Jets' Classic vs Miami, the Seahawks' royal blue vs Kansas City on Sunday Night Football, the Pacers and Nets in ABA Classic Editions in Brooklyn, and the Jets and Canadiens in Heritage Classic sweaters in Winnipeg.
What is UCLA's throwback uniform?
The powder blue jersey with white shoulder stripes and white numbers, worn with the metallic gold helmet and gold pants, honoring UCLA's 1954 national champions. UCLA wears it for Homecoming against Michigan State on Saturday, October 24, at 12:30 p.m. Pacific on CBS.
Why is Miami wearing a 2001 throwback?
2026 is the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Hurricanes, the last Miami team to win a national title. Miami wears the orange home version, white helmet, orange jersey and white pants, against Pitt on October 24 at noon Eastern on ESPN. The white road version with green pants has no date yet.
When do the Falcons wear the 1966 throwback in 2026?
Twice: Sunday, October 25 against the 49ers and Sunday, December 6 against the Lions. It is the red helmet, black jersey and white pants, and they are the only two games all season Atlanta wears black.
When do the Seahawks wear the royal blue throwback?
Three times, all in primetime: Week 6 at Denver, which they already wore, Sunday, October 25 against Kansas City on Sunday Night Football, and Week 13 against Dallas on Monday night.
When do the Buccaneers wear the creamsicle uniforms in 2026?
Sunday, December 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers at 1 p.m. Eastern. It is the only creamsicle date on Tampa Bay's 2026 schedule.
When do the Eagles wear Kelly Green in 2026?
Twice, both at home: Week 9 against the Giants on Sunday, November 8, and Week 16 against the Texans on Thursday, December 24.
What are the NBA Classic Edition jerseys for 2026-27?
The four former ABA teams, the Pacers, Nets, Spurs and Nuggets, wear ABA-era throwbacks for the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger, each with a matching classic court. We rank the Pacers' blue Classic Threads first.
What are the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic jerseys?
The Winnipeg Jets wear a white sweater built on their 1980s and 1990s look, and the Montreal Canadiens wear red with a single blue chest band and "Les Habitants" on the jersey for the first time. The game is Sunday, October 25, at 7 p.m. Eastern at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
What is the best throwback uniform in sports right now?
Our pick is UCLA's 1954 powder blue. In the NFL it is the Buccaneers' creamsicle, in the NBA the Pacers' Classic Threads, and in the NHL the Canadiens' Heritage Classic sweater.
When does Arizona State wear the Roses & Devils throwback?
Arizona State has not announced a date. The set, a gold helmet with the full-body Sparky and a maroon jersey with ARIZONA STATE across the chest, marks 40 years since the 1987 Rose Bowl win over Michigan.