BYU Football Unveils Special 1996 Tribute Apparel For ASU Game

PROVO, Utah – The 1996 BYU football team will be honored against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday night. Twenty-five years ago, BYU finished 14-1 and ended the year ranked No. 5 nationally.

Members of the 1996 team began rolling into Provo on Friday night, and when they get to LES for the Top 25 showdown, they’ll see apparel that pays tribute to their squad.

BYU’s Equipment staff led by Billy Nixon unveiled unique 1996-style polos that the players and coaches will wear on Saturday.

Paying tribute to the 1996 Cotton Bowl team—polo to be worn by coaches during tomorrow’s game against ASU!! #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/JgPCZpppn1

— Billy Nixon (@byuequipment) September 17, 2021

That block Y logo was a distinct logo on BYU uniforms from 1995-1998. The logo was prominently featured on the sleeves of the jerseys, along with on the collar. The polos also feature a “Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl” logo on the sleeves. In 1996, BYU defeated Kansas State 19-15 in the program’s first-ever New Year’s Day bowl game.

According to BYU’s Associate Director of Brand Management Adam Parker, BYU is looking to add this “Y” logo in their line of vintage logos in the future.

We are looking to add this Y logo from the 1996 jerseys to our line of vintage logos. But due to current nationwide supply chain issues, doing hot market pieces like this are not possible. We are still struggling to get merchandise in that was ordered a year ago.

— Adam Parker (@parma26) September 17, 2021

BYU coaches will wear the royal blue polo and hat, while the players will roll through the traditional Cougar Walk dressed in white.

Our 1996 Cotton Bowl @byufootball players will be sporting this polo for the Whiteout tomorrow night! pic.twitter.com/lJRnJ4c85c

— David Almodova 💛💜 (@DKaulana) September 18, 2021

The white polos coincide with BYU’s white-out uniforms they’ll be wearing against the Sun Devils. During the ’96 season, BYU wore a white-out uniform combination in the third game of that season against Washington on Montlake. Unfortunately, it was the only loss of that memorable year.

BYU in 2021 will look to have a better outcome as they seek their second consecutive 3-0 start.

Arizona State will wear a “Blackout” uniform to counter BYU’s white-out.

The 1996 team is considered to be one of the best teams in the history of BYU football. Led by quarterback Steve Sarkisian, BYU took down Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic, rolled through the 16-team WAC unscathed, capped by a Championship Game title against nationally-ranked Wyoming.

The bowl game victory over Kansas State is still considered one of the best bowl wins in the history of BYU’s storied program that dates back to 1922.

No. 19 Arizona State versus No. 23 BYU will kick off at 8:15 p.m. (MT) on ESPN and KSL NewsRadio. Pregame coverage of BYU-ASU begins at 6 p.m. on KSL Radio, your legacy home of the BYU Cougars.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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