No. 20 Houston is bringing a full-on space look to Saturday morning’s Big 12 home opener against UCF, and the Cougars didn’t stop at blue uniforms.
The light blue jerseys were already set to make a statement in the Week 5 matchup at TDECU Stadium, a nod to one of the city’s original colors and a favorite with fans. But Houston pushed the concept further Friday night by unveiling a new helmet design for the “Space Game” between Space U and Space City.
The new look is called the Gridiron Galaxy, and it is a sharp departure from the previous Houston Blue helmet. This one goes all-in on the space theme.
Houston is using it as part of its annual Built By Houston game, which changes themes each season. This year’s version fits the opponent and the moment.
There are 10 different helmet designs in the set, each tied to Houston in its own way and assigned to different players. The group represents the eight planets, plus the Sun and dwarf planet Pluto. The farther out the planet is from the Sun, the rarer the helmet becomes.
That means 45 players will wear Sun helmets, while Saturn is limited to five, Neptune to three and Pluto to just one. In all, there are 133 helmets total, and the lone Pluto version has “one of one” written on the side to underline how rare it is.
Every helmet was hand-painted. Each one features its planet on the front against a black, star-filled background. The Cougars also altered the main side logo so it resembles an astronaut helmet in gray and white.
The shell and black face mask are glossy, and each helmet includes a visor. Houston still appears on the front in white with a slight blue tint.
The planet name is listed on the bumper in the familiar Houston font, and the back carries the Built by Houston logo with the American flag underneath. The Big 12 x Monster logo is there too, along with back vents.
It’s a detailed setup, and it should make for plenty of guessing once the Cougars take the field.
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Still, the Week 5 AP Poll did not give Houston much of a bump for the fight it showed. The Cougars slid two spots to No. 22, a reminder that in the Big 12, winning is only part of the conversation and style still counts for plenty. Houston remains one of five Big 12 teams in the AP top 25, but the latest ranking suggests there is still work to do before the national perception catches up with the record. [Read more 🡒]