A History of Colorado Buffaloes Football Jerseys: From Throwbacks to Modern Styles

The Colorado Buffaloes football team has a rich and varied history when it comes to their uniforms. From classic designs to bold experiments, the team's look has evolved over the decades, reflecting both tradition and innovation. This article explores the history of the University of Colorado football jersey, highlighting key moments, memorable designs, and the stories behind them.

Early Years and the Evolution of Color

The University of Colorado's official school colors have always been silver and gold, but the team had played in black and gold since the early 1960’s. In 1981, a significant change occurred when the team switched to blue and gold uniforms, described as "Colorado sky blue at 9,000 feet." This decision, approved by the Colorado Board of Regents, was an attempt to recharge the team and fans. However, this change was not well-received, and the team eventually returned to its traditional black and gold colors.

The Infamous "Blue Sky" Uniforms (1980-1984)

Considered by many as the worst in school history, the "Blue Sky" uniforms emerged from a mandated change by the regents, moving away from the beloved black jerseys. Instead of embracing the school colors, the decision was made to represent Colorado's sky, resulting in uniforms reminiscent of the Charger colors. This era coincided with a difficult period for the team, both on and off the field. Chuck Fairbanks resigned after the ‘81 season, and Bill McCartney inherited a mess on the field, from both the uniforms and the team itself. In 1984, the blue was darkened, presumably to look more badass. The effort failed, and the unis died a slow and painful death before McCartney switched to black full-time.

The McCartney Era: A Return to Tradition (1985-1998)

In 1984, Bill McCartney took over the program and ushered in an era of success and a return to the classic black and gold. One of the longest-tenured uniforms in Colorado history is also one of its best. Man oh man, are these pretty. As shown by cover model and my favorite Buff, Darian Hagan, this jersey was one of the most unique in college football during its time and definitely one of its most stylish. They are one of the first schools to put their name on the front of the jerseys (at least according to Dave Plaiti), and also one of the only schools to have black as the main color way back when. There’s a lot of great memories in these uniforms, and they are just as clean now as they were back then. Black and Gold. This look became synonymous with Colorado football and is still fondly remembered by fans. These uniforms, with their clean design and bold colors, represented a resurgence for the program.

The Gary Barnett Era: All-Black and Bold (1998-2007?)

The Gary Barnett era brought a new level of boldness to the Buffaloes' uniforms. ALL BLACK. ALL BAD. These are by far my favorite CU uniforms, and everything henceforth is put up to these beauties as a measuring stick. I don’t want to say too much here at the risk of devolving into a giddy hype-machine for the best jerseys in the business, but man oh man are they pretty. Now, I’m not talking about the entire uniform, though in this picture Chris Brown does look all sorts of great as he slices through that Cornhusker defense (obligatory 62-36). I love that throughout the entire uniform, not one color variation could be found. If you wore a black top with gold pants, it was all black with all gold pants. These were lean on trim and detail and high on awesome. This era saw the introduction of all-black uniforms, which quickly became a fan favorite. These uniforms were known for their sleek design and intimidating presence on the field.

A Unique Throwback: The 1998 Black-Gold-Black Set

In a one-time-only appearance against Baylor in 1998, the Buffs sported a unique black-gold-black uniform set. The Buffs broke out a black-gold-black set in an 18-16 home win over the Bears that they only wore once. This set included gold jerseys, a nod to the team's history, as the Buffs wore gold jerseys at points in the 1950s and 60s, so these were the first time they'd rocked the color as a top in at least 30 years. It's also the last time they've worn a true "gold" jersey, unless you want to count the dull yellow/gold of their 1930s throwbacks against Wyoming in 2009. It was also the first time in school history they wore a black helmet - something they wouldn't do again until 2012. The gold jerseys were partly throwbacks to the 1950s and 60s, marking the first time in at least 30 years that the team had worn gold as a top.

The "Dan Hawkins" Jerseys (2007-2011)

The "Dan Hawkins" jerseys represented an attempt to modernize the Buffaloes' look. They don’t look too bad in these renderings, largely because the golds match. I appreciate Nike and CU trying something new and half-modern with their top. All the stripes and lines scream “2000’s new age”, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely wore out its welcome to me. Somehow, this article is praising these uniforms as the third best in college football when the picture he chose disproves that point. THE GOLD ON THE HELMET IS ABOUT TWENTY SHADES DARKER THAN THE GOLD ON THE PANTS. sigh. They tried, and you have to give them credit for that. Unfortunately for this iteration of the Buffs, the other uniforms in this era of CU are all some of the best in college football. These uniforms featured a more contemporary design, with stripes and lines that reflected the trends of the 2000s. However, the execution was not always perfect, with some inconsistencies in the gold color across different parts of the uniform.

The Modern Era and the Future of Colorado Uniforms

As the program moved into the modern era of college football, the uniforms continued to evolve. In 2023, a new era of Buffs uniforms will be revealed. While the talk around the town is that only minor changes are in order, a fresh look on Saturdays will be nice, and hopefully it brings along fresh success on the field. With the arrival of Deion Sanders as head coach, there is anticipation that the team may revisit some of its classic looks, including the gold jerseys. If anyone's going to bring back the gold, though, you'd figure Deion Sanders is the perfect person to make it happen. The program also announced plans to re-issue uniform numbers 24, 67, and 11, with the support of the noted players (or their families). Contemporary uniforms issued with those numbers will include a commemorative patch. Nonetheless, no player has used any of those numbers since the announcement. Uniform number 19 will remain unused for 19 years, after which it may be re-issued.

Retired Numbers: Honoring Legends

The University of Colorado has a tradition of honoring its greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. As of 2025 Shedeur Sanders' and Travis Hunter's numbers had been retired. Only four numbers have been retired in CU's 135-year football history before Sanders and Hunter. Some numbers, like 11, 24 and 67 were retired but reentered into circulation years later. No. 19 will still be unwearable for 14 more seasons, meaning retiring two more numbers did not drastically reduce the available numbers. Here are the stories behind Colorado football's six retired numbers, with the addition of No. 2 and No. 12.

No. 24 - Byron White: Quarterback and halfback Byron White wore No. 24 from 1936-37 for the Buffs. White was an All-American running back for Colorado in 1937 and led the Buffaloes to an undefeated season that year. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. White's jersey was retired on Nov. 3, 1938, near the end of the following season, by being placed in a special university trophy case.
No. 67 - Joe Romig: Romig was an offensive guard for the Buffaloes during the 1959-61 seasons. During his senior year, he was captain of the 1961 team. Romig's 67 jersey was retired at halftime of the spring game on May 11, 1963.
No. 11 - Bobby Anderson: Anderson played running back for Colorado from 1967 to 1969. He was a dual-threat running back and quarterback when he led the Buffs in rushing and passing. After his senior season, he was a consensus first-team All-American. Anderson's 11 jersey was retired at halftime of the spring game on May 9, 1970.
No. 19 - Rashaan Salaam: Salaam wore jersey No. 19 from 1993-94 during one of the best individual seasons in college football history. En route to the 1994 Heisman, Salaam rushed for a school-record 2,055 yards and became only the fourth college running back to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He amassed 24 touchdowns and helped lead Colorado to an 11-1 record. Salaam's jersey retirement was announced before the 2017 season and went into effect after that season, being honored at halftime of the CU-California game on October 28, 2017.
No. 2 - Shedeur Sanders: Sanders finished his career at Colorado setting more than 100 school records. As one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in college football, he completed 1,267-of-1,808 (70.1%) for 14,353 yards with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He threw a touchdown in an NCAA Division I record 49 straight games and is only one of two D1 quarterbacks to throw for 14,000 yards and complete 70% of his career passes. Sanders won the Johnny Unitas Award as the top quarterback in college football in 2024 and was named first-team All-American by multiple publications and second-team by the AP.
No. 12 - Travis Hunter: Hunter became one of the most honored players in college football history last year. He was named the consensus national player of the year after winning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award and both the AP and Sporting News Player of the Year honors. He was the Biletnikoff and Bednarik Award winner. He finished his final season at Colorado with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, setting CU records for receiving touchdowns.

Rivalries and Special Occasions

The Colorado Buffaloes have several significant rivalries that often see the team sporting special uniform combinations. The rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which intensified in the 1990s, has produced some memorable games and uniform matchups. The in-state rivalry with the Colorado State Rams, known as the Rocky Mountain Showdown, is another occasion where the Buffaloes might showcase unique uniform designs.

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