For their Sept. 7 game against UAB, the mighty Warhawks stepped onto the field of Malone Stadium, donning a brand-new blackout ensemble. The uniform features gold lettering outlined in maroon, a gold Louisiana patch on the upper back, P-40 Warhawks logos on the shoulder and maroon sleeve cuffs. The P-40 helmets are also more vibrant with a new metallic maroon and gold coating. ULM takes the top spot for the best new uniforms in the Sun Belt this season. From the maroon and gold contrast to the vivid helmet detailing, the Warhawks’ blackout jerseys are effortlessly sleek, easily earning the top spot.

This season, the Red Wolves embraced the new slogan, “It’s time to see RED,” unveiling an updated red uniform. Like the 2019 red uniform, the players wear a matching red top and bottom combo. In contrast to last year’s black lettering with white outlines, this year’s uniforms sport white lettering with black outlines. The contrast includes a black Adidas logo, white stripes between black on the shoulders and legs and black sleeve cuffs instead of white. The Red Wolves also added the Sun Belt Conference emblem with a red, black, and white color scheme onto the right shoulder of the jerseys. While I am not typically the biggest fan of all-red football uniforms, Arkansas State’s newest design is by far more modern.

About three hours south of ULM, the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns redesigned the team’s helmets. Instead of solely featuring the Ragin’ Cajuns logo, the team added an outline of Louisiana’s shape to surround the team’s logo. They also displayed patriotism by including an American flag-patterned version of the Ragin’ Cajuns logo on their black helmet. Many teams’ uniforms include Americana elements, but this neat update does not make the team stand out.

Honoring Texas State’s 125th anniversary, the Bobcats football team introduced a new all-white jersey with maroon and gold accents in the numbers, letters and classic horizontal shoulder stripes. Though there were not many major improvements or additions to this uniform, I find it crisp and a decent addition to the Bobcat fleet.

Marshall University’s football uniforms remain essentially unchanged, with only subtle tweaks setting them apart in recent years. The Thundering Herd football team now wears a more glossy, polished helmet with a slightly more vibrant shade of green. Due to a lack of significant changes, this uniform falls short and earns the position of one of my least favorite uniforms in the Sun Belt.

Georgia Southern similarly embraced minimalism, changing the finish on their helmets from matte to satin. The team brightened up the new helmets with white face masks. The updated helmet gives a sleek, slightly more modern appearance. This minimalist approach suits the Eagles, but the need for significant innovations keeps them from climbing higher in the rankings.