Houston is bringing a full-on space spectacle to Saturday’s “Space Bowl” against UCF.
The Cougars will roll out a fresh set of helmets as part of their Built By Houston series, and this year’s look is built around the solar system. Houston says the “one-of-a-kind, hand-painted helmets” are meant to take fans around the galaxy, with designs that move from the Sun all the way to Pluto.
The effect is striking: the helmets are styled like astronaut gear, complete with a planet reflected in the visor. Houston’s site says the collection starts with the Sun and becomes more uncommon the farther it moves out through the Solar System.
The distribution is just as wild as the design. According to the Cougars’ website, 45 players will wear the Sun version, 23 will be in Mercury helmets, and the count keeps dropping until only one player gets the hand-painted Pluto helmet.
Houston football teased the look with the line, “INTRODUCING: THE GRIDIRON GALAXY” and added, “10 helmets. Each with a connection to Houston that will be worn Saturday morning vs UCF #BuiltByHouston x #GoCoogs”
The program also posted, “Mission Control Houston, we are go for launch🪐 #BuiltByHouston x #GoCoogs”
UCF won’t be plain on Saturday either. The Knights are set to unveil their own new look under the title “Mission X: Origin Story,” with a launch date of October 30.
The game itself brings together two teams with NASA ties, and Houston and UCF meet with a little history already in the books. Houston won last season’s matchup 30-27, while UCF still holds the edge in the all-time series, 8-4.
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Houston suddenly fits into a much bigger Texas conversation because the Red Raiders are making a case as the states top FBS team heading into week seven, ahead of the Longhorns in the broader comparison of record and schedule strength. For a program that has been trying to climb back into the upper tier of the sport, the early evidence suggests Texas Tech is not just surviving the fall, but helping define it for the rest of the state. [Read more 🡒]