Week 7 of the 2026 college football season is the best uniform week of the year so far, and most of the big looks were posted before Thursday night. Cal wears a Grateful Dead helmet against No. 21 Wake Forest for its Grateful Bears game, Coastal Carolina goes full 1990s on Friday night against App State, and Oklahoma brings back its Bud Wilkinson era throwback against No. 15 Kentucky, which is wearing a black helmet and black pants of its own. No. 11 Utah runs back its icy white set at Colorado, Stanford breaks out its throwback helmet for Reunion Homecoming, Ole Miss puts a Realtree camo helmet on against No. 13 Missouri, and Alabama and Tennessee meet in home colors for the first time since 1970. On top of that, No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 5 Indiana, No. 2 Notre Dame goes to No. 8 BYU and Florida State visits No. 3 Miami.
Below is every game this week involving an AP Top 25 team or one of the programs we track in our college uniform schedules, with kickoff time, TV and what each team is wearing. A look is marked Confirmed when the school itself has posted it, and Expected when it has not, in which case we give the set the program normally wears in that spot. Most schools post their combination between Monday and game day, so expect more Expected tags to flip to Confirmed by Saturday morning. We update this page as each school posts. The rankings below are from this week's AP poll. All times are Eastern. Last week's looks and final scores are in our Week 6 uniform guide.
Games of the Week
No. 21 Wake Forest at Cal: The Grateful Bears Game
Saturday, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2. Cal: Confirmed, Grateful Dead helmet. Cal revealed the helmet on Monday night: a gold shell with the Cal script inside a Steal Your Face skull, a blue center stripe with a white lightning bolt, and the dancing bears across the white back bumper in blue-gray, pink, orange and green, with Oski in a CAL sweater in the middle. On Thursday Cal posted the rest of the set, and its own caption sums it up: the lids are yellow and the jerseys are blue. That is the blue jersey with gold numbers and gold pants, plus towels with a gold dancing bear in a Cal cap. Cal says the Grateful Bears game celebrates the band's 29 shows at the Hearst Greek Theatre on campus.
Our take: this is the best special helmet of the season so far, and the reason is restraint. Cal kept its own blue and gold and let the Dead show up in the details, the stealie, the bolt and the bears on the back. A tie-dye jersey would have been a costume. This is a uniform.
Wake Forest: Confirmed, gloss black helmet, white jersey, black pants, from the team's Week 7 threads post. More: Cal schedule and Wake Forest schedule.
The Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Photo: Sanfranman59 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
App State at Coastal Carolina: The '90s Night
Friday, 8 p.m., ESPN2. Coastal Carolina: Confirmed, '90s uniform. This is Coastal's annual "Wait 'Til You See This" game, and the school says the limited edition set was inspired by 1990s TV, naming Saved By The Bell, Boy Meets World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends. In the team's photos it is a white jersey with COASTAL in a teal graffiti script, teal numbers outlined in pink sitting on a hot pink triangle, and confetti, squiggles and triangles in pink, purple, lime and orange all over the front and back. It goes with a teal helmet and teal pants, with "Chants" in script on the back bumper. Coastal is selling game-worn jerseys after the game, and fans were asked to dress for the decade.
Our take: we love it, and it is a little funny. Coastal Carolina did not play football in the 1990s. The program played its first season in 2003 and moved up to FBS in 2017. So this is not a throwback to anything the Chanticleers wore. It is a tribute to a decade, the Trapper Keeper and the Saturday morning lineup, and it is exactly the kind of swing a Friday night on ESPN2 is for. Keeping teal on the helmet and pants stops it from looking like a costume.
App State: Confirmed, black helmet, black jersey, gold pants, from the team's Splash Warning post. More: Coastal Carolina schedule and App State schedule.
No. 15 Kentucky at Oklahoma: Throwback vs. Black
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network. Oklahoma: Confirmed, Bud Wilkinson throwback. Oklahoma listed Kentucky as its Throwback game when it released its 2026 game themes in July, and on Thursday it posted the look: a plain white helmet with a single crimson stripe and no logo, a crimson jersey with white numbers and striped sleeves, and white pants. It honors Oklahoma's look from 1946 to 1956, the Bud Wilkinson era, when the Sooners won three national titles.
Kentucky: Confirmed, black helmet and black pants. Kentucky posted a "new look for week seven" on Tuesday: a black helmet with the blue interlocking UK, the white jersey with KENTUCKY and the numbers in blue, and black pants with a blue and white side stripe and a blue UK on the hip. It is the third different helmet in three weeks for Kentucky, after the chrome shell at South Carolina and the Power K throwback against LSU.
Our take: two very different ideas on one field. Oklahoma's throwback is as plain as a uniform gets, and that is the point. Kentucky's black and white is sharp, but next to that crimson it will look like the modern team it is. More: Oklahoma schedule and Kentucky schedule.
Oklahoma tackle Jim Weatherall and coach Bud Wilkinson in 1950, the era the throwback honors. Photo: Los Angeles Daily News, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
No. 6 Alabama at No. 14 Tennessee: The Third Saturday in Full Color
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC. Both teams: Confirmed in home colors. Alabama and Tennessee announced in August that both will wear home jerseys for the Third Saturday in October in 2026 and 2027, crimson against orange, the first color vs. color meeting in this rivalry since 1970. Tennessee is in its orange home set at Neyland Stadium, and Alabama is in the crimson helmet and crimson jersey it would normally save for Tuscaloosa. Tennessee called it "a historic look" in a Tuesday video. Our full story: Alabama and Tennessee go color vs. color. More: Alabama schedule and Tennessee schedule.
No. 11 Utah at Colorado: Icy White Again
Saturday, 10:15 p.m., ESPN. Utah: Confirmed, icy white. Utah wore an all white look with an ice and snow theme against Kansas last week, and on Wednesday it posted "One week wasn't enough. Run it back." It is a white helmet covered in a frosty mountain graphic with the Utah script on the side, a white jersey with red trim and white pants with red stripes. Colorado: Expected in black for Family Weekend and a Gold Rush crowd, with the gold jersey a real possibility. More: Utah schedule and Colorado schedule.
Elon at Stanford: Reunion Homecoming Throwback Helmet
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. Pacific), ACC Network Extra. Stanford: Confirmed, throwback helmet. Stanford posted "Breaking out the throwback threads" on Thursday, and the photos match what it announced: a white helmet with a smaller block S, a single cardinal stripe down the middle and a gray facemask, with the regular cardinal home jersey and white pants. It is Reunion Homecoming, and the same small S and gray mask Stanford used in 2021 to honor Jim Plunkett and the 1970 and 1971 Rose Bowl teams.
Our grade: A-. The small block S and the gray mask are a great look, and Stanford's cardinal and white is one of the best color pairings in the sport. It stops short of an A because the throwback stops at the helmet. Full breakdown on our Stanford schedule.
No. 13 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss: Realtree in Oxford
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network. Ole Miss: Confirmed, Realtree helmet. Ole Miss posted "Rockin' RealTree" on Thursday: a gray and white camo helmet with the Ole Miss script and a red and navy stripe, a red jersey and gray pants. The crowd has been asked to wear white. Missouri: Expected in white. More: Ole Miss schedule and Missouri schedule.
Alternates and Special Looks This Week
- Cal, Grateful Dead helmet (Confirmed). Gold helmet with the Cal script in a stealie, lightning bolt stripe and dancing bears, blue jersey, gold pants, against Wake Forest.
- Coastal Carolina, '90s uniform (Confirmed). White jersey with graffiti COASTAL and '90s confetti graphics, teal helmet and pants, Friday against App State.
- Oklahoma, Bud Wilkinson throwback (Confirmed). Logo-free white helmet with a crimson stripe, crimson jersey, white pants, against Kentucky.
- Kentucky, black helmet and black pants (Confirmed). With the white jersey at Oklahoma.
- Utah, icy white (Confirmed). Second straight week, at Colorado.
- Stanford, throwback helmet (Confirmed). Small block S, single stripe, gray mask, with the cardinal home jersey, against Elon. Our grade: A-.
- Ole Miss, Realtree helmet (Confirmed). With a red jersey and gray pants against Missouri.
- Boston College, Soar High details (Confirmed). For Homecoming against Pitt, BC posted a breakdown of its maroon home set: "Soar High!" stitched inside the collar, the eagle head back on the shoulders, gold numbers, and the interlocking BC on the hip of the gold pants, under the gold helmet. BC's caption: "Tradition doesn't fade."
- UTEP, new Paydirt Pete helmet decal (Confirmed). UTEP let fans vote on the helmet decal for San Jose State, and the new Paydirt Pete logo won with 38 percent of 508 votes, ahead of the 915, UTEP shield and Pick options. The Miners go all navy with it: navy helmet, navy MINERS jersey with orange numbers, navy pants with orange and white stripes. The new Pete was unveiled in July when UTEP joined the Mountain West.
- Clemson, purple for Military Appreciation (Confirmed). Orange helmet, purple jersey, purple pants against Charleston Southern.
- UTSA, Salute to Service helmet (Confirmed). A white helmet with a stars and stripes center stripe and "San Antonio" on the back, with a navy jersey and navy pants, against Navy.
- Texas Tech, honoring the 1976 team (Confirmed). Homecoming honors the 1976 Red Raiders on their 50th anniversary. The uniform Texas Tech posted is its standard home look, black helmet, red jersey and white pants.
- Oregon State, Homecoming set (Confirmed). The Beavers' reveal graphic labels it "Homecoming": black helmet, black jersey and black pants with orange trim, against Washington State.
- Baylor, Blackout on the Brazos (Confirmed). Gold chrome helmet, black jersey, black pants against TCU.
- Wisconsin, Ron Dayne tease (watch). Wisconsin teased its Rose Bowl look with a fake text thread to Ron Dayne that ends with a photo of him from his playing days. The full combination has not been posted.
- Homecoming watch. Boston College, Texas Tech, Stanford, Maryland, West Virginia, Oregon State, South Florida, James Madison, Hawaii, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State and UAB all have Homecoming this week.
Off this week: No. 17 Iowa, No. 19 USC and No. 23 Boise State, along with Arizona, Illinois, Iowa State, Minnesota, NC State, South Carolina, UCF, UConn, Liberty, North Texas and Utah State.
Every Game
Thursday, October 15
East Carolina at UAB, 7:30 p.m., ESPN.
- East Carolina: Confirmed, white helmet with the purple Pirates script and a gold facemask, white jersey, gold pants, from the team's game photos. UAB 30, East Carolina 17.
- UAB: Confirmed, gold helmet, green jersey, white pants for Homecoming.
Georgia Southern at Old Dominion, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2.
- Georgia Southern: Confirmed, navy helmet, white jersey, white pants. Georgia Southern 23, Old Dominion 15.
- Old Dominion: Confirmed, navy head to toe, as posted.
Colorado State at Texas State, 8 p.m., CBSSN.
- Colorado State: Confirmed, white jersey and white pants. The helmet was hard to read in the photos we saw. Texas State 66, Colorado State 27.
- Texas State: Confirmed, black jersey for the Bobcats Blackout, from the team's game photos.
Friday, October 16
Memphis at Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN.
- Memphis: Confirmed, blue helmet with the tiger stripe, white jersey with tiger-striped sleeves, blue pants.
- Tulane: Confirmed, green helmet, green jersey, white pants, as posted.
Washington at Purdue, 8 p.m., FOX.
- Washington: Expected, white.
- Purdue: Expected, black. Purdue has asked the crowd to wear black.
App State at Coastal Carolina, 8 p.m., ESPN2.
- App State: Confirmed, black helmet, black jersey, gold pants.
- Coastal Carolina: Confirmed, the '90s uniform. See above.
Saturday, October 17: Noon Window
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 5 Indiana, noon, FOX.
- Ohio State: Expected, white on the road.
- Indiana: Expected, crimson. Indiana has asked fans to wear crimson for the biggest home game on its schedule.
Florida at No. 7 Texas, noon, ABC.
- Florida: Confirmed from its published season schedule: orange helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
- Texas: Expected, burnt orange at home.
No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 LSU, noon, ESPN.
- Mississippi State: Confirmed, maroon helmet, maroon jersey, white pants. LSU wears white at home, so the visitor wears color in Tiger Stadium.
- LSU: Expected, home white with the gold helmet.
Virginia at No. 24 SMU, noon, The CW.
- Virginia: Confirmed, all white: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.
- SMU: Confirmed, the classic look: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants, for the Salute to Service and Hall of Fame game.
No. 25 Northwestern at Michigan State, noon, Peacock.
- Northwestern: Confirmed, black helmet with the purple N, white jersey, black pants.
- Michigan State: Expected, green.
Cincinnati at West Virginia, noon, TNT.
- Cincinnati: Confirmed, red helmet, white jersey, red pants.
- West Virginia: Expected, navy or gold for Homecoming and Stripe the Stadium.
Kansas at Kansas State, noon, FS1.
- Kansas: Expected, white.
- Kansas State: Expected, purple for the Sunflower Showdown.
Charleston Southern at Clemson, noon, ACC Network.
- Clemson: Confirmed, orange helmet, purple jersey, purple pants for Military Appreciation.
Pitt at Boston College, noon, ESPN2.
- Pitt: Expected, white.
- Boston College: Confirmed, gold helmet, maroon jersey, gold pants, with the Soar High collar and eagle head shoulders. See the list above.
Florida Atlantic at Army, noon, CBSSN.
- Florida Atlantic: Confirmed, all white.
- Army: Confirmed, black and gold: the team's post codes it as black helmet, black jersey, gold pants.
Georgia State at James Madison, noon, ESPNU.
- James Madison: Expected, purple for Homecoming, the most likely home date for an alternate.
Rutgers at Maryland, 12:30 p.m., BTN.
- Rutgers: Expected, white.
- Maryland: Expected, red for Homecoming and the Retro Red Out. The retro part is the rally towel the first 10,000 fans get, not a throwback uniform.
Also on the Early Slate
- The Citadel at Texas A&M, 1 p.m., SECN+. Texas A&M Expected in maroon.
- Charlotte at Temple, 1 p.m., ESPN+. Temple Expected in cherry.
- UMass at Buffalo, 1 p.m., ESPN+. Buffalo Expected in blue for the Flagship Cup.
Saturday, October 17: Afternoon Window
Auburn at No. 1 Georgia, 3:30 p.m., ESPN.
- Auburn: Confirmed, all white: white helmet, white jersey, white pants, from its Game Six uniform graphic.
- Georgia: Expected, red helmet, red jersey, silver pants.
No. 6 Alabama at No. 14 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., ABC.
No. 13 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network.
Arizona State at No. 10 Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m., FOX.
- Arizona State: Confirmed, white helmet with Sparky, white jersey, maroon pants.
- Texas Tech: Confirmed, black helmet, red jersey, white pants for Homecoming, honoring the 1976 team.
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network.
- Georgia Tech: Expected, white.
- Virginia Tech: Expected, maroon.
North Carolina at Duke, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2.
- North Carolina: Expected, white.
- Duke: Confirmed, "Back in Blue": white helmet, royal blue jersey, white pants, for the Victory Bell, a week after going all black at Georgia Tech.
Penn State at Michigan, 3:30 p.m., CBS.
- Penn State: Confirmed, all white: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.
- Michigan: Confirmed, maize helmet with the blue wings, blue jersey, maize pants.
Northern Illinois at Wyoming, 3:30 p.m., The CW.
- Wyoming: Expected, brown at War Memorial Stadium.
UNLV at Air Force, 3:30 p.m., CBSSN.
- UNLV: Confirmed, silver helmet with the Rebels script, white jersey, silver pants.
- Air Force: Confirmed, white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Toledo at Eastern Michigan, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+.
- Toledo: Confirmed, white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
- Eastern Michigan: Confirmed, green helmet, black jersey, green pants for Homecoming.
Tulsa at Rice, 4:30 p.m., ESPN+.
- Tulsa: Confirmed, "the return of the gold lids": gold helmet with the blue Tulsa script, white jersey, gold pants.
- Rice: Expected, blue.
Troy at Louisiana, 5 p.m., ESPN+.
- Troy: Expected, white.
- Louisiana: Expected, red for Family Weekend and the Hall of Fame game, with fans asked to wear red.
Saturday, October 17: Night Window
Washington State at Oregon State, 6 p.m., USA Network.
- Washington State: Expected, white.
- Oregon State: Confirmed, the Homecoming set: black helmet, black jersey, black pants.
Florida State at No. 3 Miami, 7 p.m., ESPN.
- Florida State: Expected, white.
- Miami: Confirmed, white helmet, orange jersey, white pants, from its Week 7 uniform combo graphic. No Miami Nights black this time.
Arkansas at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2.
- Arkansas: Confirmed, cardinal helmet, white jersey, white pants.
- Vanderbilt: Confirmed, white helmet, black jersey, white pants.
- TCU: Expected, white.
- Baylor: Confirmed, gold chrome helmet, black jersey, black pants for Blackout on the Brazos.
Kent State at South Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN+.
- South Florida: Confirmed, gold helmet, green jersey, gold pants for Homecoming.
Arkansas State at Southern Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN+.
- Southern Miss: Expected, black, with fans asked to wear black or gold.
No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU, 7:30 p.m., ABC.
- Notre Dame: Expected, white on the road.
- BYU: Confirmed, white helmet, royal jersey, white pants, revealed Monday. It is royal, not the navy BYU wore against Iowa State.
Wisconsin at No. 12 UCLA, 7:30 p.m., NBC, at the Rose Bowl.
- Wisconsin: Expected, white. Wisconsin teased the look with Ron Dayne but has not shown it.
- UCLA: Expected, blue.
No. 15 Kentucky at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network.
- Kentucky: Confirmed, black helmet, white jersey, black pants. See above.
- Oklahoma: Confirmed, the Bud Wilkinson throwback. See above.
No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 20 Houston, 7:30 p.m., FOX.
- Oklahoma State: Confirmed, white helmet with the orange facemask, white jersey, orange pants.
- Houston: Confirmed, "classic home colors": red helmet with the Houston script, red jersey, white pants.
Elon at Stanford, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network Extra.
- Stanford: Confirmed, throwback helmet, cardinal jersey, white pants. Our grade: A-. See above.
Louisville at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network.
- Louisville: Confirmed, white helmet, white jersey, red pants.
- Syracuse: Expected, navy, back in the Dome.
- Navy: Expected, white.
- UTSA: Confirmed, the Salute to Service helmet with a navy jersey and navy pants. See the list above.
San Jose State at UTEP, 9 p.m., MW+.
- UTEP: Confirmed, all navy with the new Paydirt Pete decal the fans picked, for Innovation Night at the Sun Bowl.
Also Late
- No. 11 Utah at Colorado, 10:15 p.m., ESPN. Utah Confirmed in icy white for a second straight week. Colorado Expected in black. See above.
- No. 21 Wake Forest at Cal, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2. Cal Confirmed in the Grateful Dead helmet, blue jersey and gold pants. Wake Forest Confirmed in a gloss black helmet, white jersey and black pants. See above.
- Fresno State at San Diego State, 10:30 p.m., CBSSN. The Battle for the Old Oil Can on San Diego State's Homecoming. San Diego State Expected in black, Fresno State Expected in white.
- New Mexico at Hawaii, 10:30 p.m., FS1. Hawaii Expected in black for Homecoming.
- Nebraska at Oregon, 11 p.m., FOX. Oregon Confirmed in a green chrome helmet and black jersey, with the team's post coding the set as green, black, green. Nebraska Expected in white.
The Bottom Line
This is the week college football remembered uniforms are supposed to be fun. Cal's Grateful Dead helmet is the best special helmet of the season so far because it keeps Cal's own blue and gold and lets the stealie, the bolt and the dancing bears do the talking. Coastal Carolina is honoring a decade it never played in, and we are fine with that on a Friday night. Oklahoma's Bud Wilkinson throwback against Kentucky's black helmet and black pants is the best contrast of styles on the board, Stanford's small S and gray mask earned an A- from us, and Alabama in crimson at Tennessee is a picture this rivalry has not had since 1970. A handful of big programs, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame among them, have not posted yet, and we flip each one on this page as they do, then add final scores after the games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are college football teams wearing in Week 7?
The specials, all posted by the schools, are Cal's Grateful Dead helmet against Wake Forest, Coastal Carolina's '90s uniform against App State, Oklahoma's Bud Wilkinson throwback against Kentucky, Kentucky's black helmet and black pants, Utah's icy white at Colorado, Stanford's throwback helmet against Elon, Ole Miss's Realtree helmet against Missouri and Clemson's purple Military Appreciation set. Alabama and Tennessee both wear home colors. Every game is listed above with what each team is wearing.
What is Cal wearing against Wake Forest?
Cal wears its Grateful Dead helmet for the Grateful Bears game on Saturday, October 17: a gold shell with the Cal script in a Steal Your Face skull, a lightning bolt center stripe and the dancing bears on the back bumper. It goes with the blue jersey and gold pants. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Pacific on ESPN2.
Why is Cal wearing a Grateful Dead helmet?
Cal says the Grateful Bears game celebrates the Grateful Dead's 29 shows at the Hearst Greek Theatre on the Berkeley campus, and the band's deep roots in the Bay Area.
What is Coastal Carolina wearing against App State?
Coastal Carolina wears a limited edition '90s uniform on Friday, October 16: a white jersey with a graffiti COASTAL wordmark, teal numbers outlined in pink and '90s confetti and triangle graphics, with a teal helmet and teal pants. The school says it was inspired by shows like Saved By The Bell, Boy Meets World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends.
Did Coastal Carolina play football in the 1990s?
No. Coastal Carolina played its first football season in 2003 and became a full FBS member in 2017, so the '90s uniform is a tribute to the decade, not a throwback to an old Coastal uniform.
What is Oklahoma wearing against Kentucky?
Oklahoma wears its Bud Wilkinson era throwback: a plain white helmet with a crimson stripe and no logo, a crimson jersey with white numbers and striped sleeves, and white pants. Kentucky wears a black helmet, white jersey and black pants. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Eastern on SEC Network.
Are Alabama and Tennessee both wearing colored jerseys?
Yes. The schools agreed to wear home jerseys for the Third Saturday in October in 2026 and 2027, so Alabama is in crimson at Tennessee, which is in orange. It is the first color vs. color meeting in the rivalry since 1970.
What is Stanford wearing against Elon?
Stanford wears its throwback helmet for Reunion Homecoming: white with a smaller block S, a single cardinal stripe and a gray facemask, with the cardinal home jersey and white pants. We graded it A-.
What is Utah wearing against Colorado?
Utah wears its icy white set for a second straight week: a white helmet with a frosty mountain graphic, a white jersey and white pants. Utah wore the same look in its 41-24 win over Kansas.
Who is off in Week 7?
No. 17 Iowa, No. 19 USC and No. 23 Boise State are off, along with Arizona, Illinois, Iowa State, Minnesota, NC State, South Carolina, UCF, UConn and several others.
Where can I see every team's uniform schedule?
We keep a week-by-week uniform schedule for more than 90 college programs, including Cal, Coastal Carolina, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Stanford and Utah. Each team in the game list above links to its own page, and every page is updated as combinations are confirmed.