Utah football to debut hand-painted helmet for whiteout against Kansas
Oct 6, 2026, 2:05 PM | Updated: 2:06 pm
Utah's new hand-painted helmet brings an ICY element to the field. Photo courtesy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football will bring an icy new look to Rice-Eccles Stadium this weekend, debuting a new hand-painted helmet as part of its whiteout against Kansas.
The Utes will welcome the Jayhawks to Rice-Eccles Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 10, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
Bringing the 𝑰𝒄𝒆 🧊 to our first 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓 ⚪️
#GoUtes | #RSNB | @UofUHealth https://t.co/2YJDTByPdW
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 6, 2026
The white helmet features an oversized red “Utah” script on each side, with painted frost and icicles giving the familiar lettering a frozen appearance. A gray-and-white mountain landscape wraps around the lower portion of the shell, carrying the snowy theme from the sides around the back.
The detail extends well beyond the logo’s outline. White flecks scattered through the red lettering create a snow-speckled effect, while long icicles hang from the script and its sweeping underline. Gray shading behind the artwork gives the lettering and ice a sense of depth against the white shell.
Below the script, jagged peaks and shaded ridgelines form a mountain panorama. The artwork follows the helmet’s contours and continues beneath a red interlocking U on the back, which also features white speckling and a shaded outline.
The red logos provide the strongest contrast in a design otherwise built around white and gray. That balance gives Utah a helmet that fits the whiteout theme while leaving plenty of detail to appreciate up close, particularly in the layered mountain scenery and the icy edges of the script.
The debut will accompany Utah’s return from its bye week and its first Big 12 home game of the season. The Utes enter the matchup 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play after a 31-17 victory at Iowa State.
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Utah’s hand-painted helmet history
The new whiteout helmet will mark the 10th edition of a tradition Utah began in 2016. The Utes have introduced a new hand-painted design every season since, with the exception of the 2020 campaign.
The collection has celebrated the program’s history, honored its community and paid tribute to teammates whose legacies remain central to Utah football.
- 2016 — Black Drum and Feather: Utah introduced the tradition with individually painted black helmets featuring a granite texture and the program’s familiar drum-and-feather logo. Each helmet carried its own serial number.
- 2017 — Throw the U: Red helmets featured painted hands forming Utah’s signature “Throw the U” gesture.
- 2018 — Red-Tailed Hawk: Detailed hawk wings stretched across the sides of red helmets in a nod to Swoop.
- 2019 — 1966–67 Throwback: Utah revisited its past with silver helmets and interlocking U logos. Painted grass stains and scuff marks gave the helmets an aged appearance as part of college football’s 150th anniversary celebration.
- 2021 — USS Salt Lake City: The military appreciation design featured the World War II heavy cruiser and debuted during Utah’s victory over Oregon.
- 2022 — 22 Forever: Portraits of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe honored the Utes’ late teammates. Utah wore the helmets against USC.
- 2023 — The MUSS: Utah celebrated its student section with a design featuring the MUSS flag, student crowd and the signature “3rd Down Jump.”
- 2024 — Mālama Lahaina: The red helmets honored the program’s Polynesian community and those affected by the Maui wildfires. The artwork included Polynesian designs, interlocking U logos and a depiction of Lahaina’s historic Front Street.
- 2025 — Drum and Feather Revisited: Utah returned to the concept that launched the tradition, unveiling black helmets with a larger, more detailed interpretation of the drum-and-feather logo for its game against Cincinnati.
- 2026 — Whiteout: The latest edition features a white shell, frosted red Utah script, painted icicles and a snowy mountain landscape for Saturday’s game against Kansas.
