In Part 1 of Uniformity’s rankings, I counted down the bottom half of Sun Devil Football’s 2023 uniform combinations. Here, in Part 2, the Top 6 uniforms will be revealed. Before we dive into the best looks of the season, let’s review the rankings from Part 1:
12. Week 2 vs Oklahoma State: Blackout, Maroon Helmet/Black Jersey/Black Pants
11. Week 5 at Cal: White Helmet/White Jersey/Maroon Pants
10. Week 11 at UCLA: Maroon Helmet/White Jersey/Maroon Pants
9. Week 6 vs Colorado: Gold Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Gold Pants
8. Week 10 at Utah: Gold Helmet/White Jersey/Gold Pants
7. Week 1 vs Southern Utah: Gold Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Gold Pants
Now, without any further ado, here are the six best uniforms of 2023:
6. Week 9 vs Washington State: Ghost Story, Gold Helmet/Black Jersey/Black Pants
We kick off this half of the rankings with the 2023 alternate Ghost Story uniform. It was originally supposed to be worn against Colorado in hopes that it would be a nighttime, prime-time game to showcase the glow-in-the-dark trim that it boasted, but when that game was scheduled during the day, the uniform got pushed to Halloween weekend against Wazzu. It was worth the wait, as it not only looked great but was worn during one of the few precious wins this season. I originally hoped for a white helmet on this as I thought it would tie into the “ghost” theme more, but the gold helmet worn looked fantastic live at the game as well as on TV.
5. Week 8 at Washington: Whiteout
The Whiteout returned with great style in a near-win against Washington. There has not been a true Whiteout game for a few seasons, with the lack of a white helmet option available. In prior years, the Whiteout, one of my least favorite uniforms each year, often found itself in the bottom half of the rankings. Not this season. The strong colorway of the maroon and gold pitchfork decals matched with the center stripe gave this uniform more identity than previous efforts that tried to make the whole uniform as white as possible. Each element featured a white base with a maroon focal point and gold trim. It truly brought a sense of, dare I say, Uniformity to the combination.
4. Week 4 vs USC: Maroon Monsoon
Despite my being ready to move on from the iridescent maroon helmets, I still thought this year’s Maroon Monsoon was a special look. With the return of white trim around the numbers on maroon jerseys, the gold pitchfork decals with white trim were an excellent touch to match that detail. The subtle nod to Hispanic Heritage with the front and back helmet bumper decals was a nice touch as well. Overall, the Maroon Monsoon kept up with its track record of looking tough and having the right amount of gold splashed in to really tie it all together.
3. Week 12 vs Oregon: Salute to Service White Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Maroon Pants
I am not joking when I say that the first time I saw it in person, I truly disliked the decal on this helmet. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when ASU honors Pat Tillman and features PT*42. However, it didn’t seem to be the right fit, nor did the maroon in the decal match the maroon on the jersey. However, when it was assembled as a full uniform, it ended up looking awesome. The maroon digital camo center stripe with gold trim was the ultimate accent for what turned out to be one of the three best uniforms of the year.
2. Week 3 vs Fresno State: White Sparky Face Helmet/Maroon Jersey/White Pants
This was so close to being the top uniform of the season, and it was the clubhouse leader up until the top uniform hit the field. Heavy usage of white uniform elements usually does not garner a high ranking in this annual list, but this was done very well. ASU Softball has long used the Sparky face decal on white helmets, ASU Hockey has used it on their gold helmets, and now, in back-to-back seasons, ASU Football has worn it on each of those colors. This year, it was nice to see it worn at home. This was a very sharp look with plenty of maroon and gold mixed in with the white helmet and pants. The Sparky face obviously showcases the school colors, and the maroon facemask complemented that well. Maroon and gold pitchforks on the white pants also added to the dedication to the school colors. Add in that fresh-looking white trim around the gold numbers on the maroon jerseys to match the helmet and pants, and you’ve got one of the best uniforms of the year.
1. Week 13 Territorial Cup: Gold Sparky Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Gold Pants
Classic Sparky. Not just traditional colors with a Sparky helmet but the classic Sparky uniform colors that were worn for nearly 30 years. The key is the white trim around the gold numbers. That white outline makes the gold numbers pop off the maroon uniforms. The Sparky face helmet uniform was so close to being ranked at the top of this list, and it can seem a little cliché to rank this uniform number 1, but in this case it seemed fitting. Harkening back to a look we haven’t seen in 15 years, this uniform just felt right. You may remember that the oversized Sparky decal was used for the Territorial Cup game last year. This season, the classic-sized decal returned along with those white outlined numbers. The uniform looked incredible. Here’s to hoping that this classic look with the maroon, gold, and white colorway remains the standard.
Thus concludes the 2023 Uniformity Rankings of Sun Devil Football uniforms. Agree or disagree with the list? Tweet me at @ASU_Uniformity or @sundevilcole7.
Thank you all for reading this season, and keep an eye out for new Uniformity content.
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