The Battle for the Belt Uniform History
This story was originally written before the 2020 Battle for the Belt, which was delayed because of COVID-19. It has been updated through the 2022 game.
Since 2012, Troy’s newest rivalry with South Alabama has grown to become something special. The series has provided thrilling moments, even though Troy leads 8-3 When it comes to uniforms used on-field, it has been a tale of two teams’ personalities: one, more consistent and tradition-rich and the other trying to find a path.
Game 1: 2012 – Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Mobile, AL – Troy won 31-10
In the first gridiron meeting between the schools, Troy went with a very traditional look as the away team. The Trojans wore all white uniforms along with the cardinal helmets. This is a classic look for the Trojans and, with one exception, has been the uniform combo used by the Trojans in every Battle for the Belt in Mobile thus far. Of the uniforms Troy has used over the years, this set was one of the simplest, featuring only the TroJans wordmark on the chest and TV numbers on the jerseys and plain white pants.
For South, their uniform journey has been much more all over the place, as they’ve been trying to come into their own. For the first game, the Jags would use their white helmet with red jerseys and white pants for their first matchup. The white helmet they used featured the Jag head logo and these uniforms look very dated compared to the modern look they use now, from the wrap around back stripe to the dual tapered pant stripes.
Game 2: 2013 – Veterans Memorial Stadium – Troy, AL – Troy won 34-33
The series headed to Troy for the first time in 2013. Troy continued their traditional look, swapping out their white away jersey with a cardinal version that mirrored it. The white pants stayed the same.
South played in their white away version of the jersey from 2012 and wore blue for the first time in the rivalry, donning their blue version of their pants. The biggest change for South though is the change from the Jag head logo to the simple and classic blue JAGS wordmark on the white helmet. South has only worn the Jag head once since the switch in 2013, in its first bowl game. The helmet also introduced a tapered blue stripe to the helmet for the first time.
Game 3: 2014 – Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Mobile, AL – South Alabama won 27-13
Troy’s look was exactly the same in 2014 as it was in 2012. Cardinal helmet, white jersey, and white pants. Nothing new to see here for the Trojans.
That was not the case for South Alabama though. They used the same white helmet and blue pants as they’d used the previous year. The major change for the Jags was the introduction of new jerseys. South sported brand new red jerseys in 2014 that featured a smaller Jaguars wordmark across the chest and a new number font. The white numbers popped on the red jersey, while the blue Jaguars is so small that it is almost unreadable.
Game 4: 2015 – Veterans Memorial Stadium – Troy, AL – South Alabama won 24-18
Cue the AC/DC music. In 2015, Neal Brown’s first season saw the Trojans don black jerseys for the first time since the Halloween Blackout in 2013 against ULM, a game they would lose 49-37. This should have been a sign.
This game also marked the first time Troy had ever worn black pants and the first appearance of the Chrome Dome. The Chrome Dome would go on to be part of Troy’s most notorious uniform combinations, the Giant Killers. Troy’s jerseys would also feature silver numbers on the front and back, silver TV numbers and the Power T on the chest.
While the Trojans went black at home, the Jags opted for their first “Stormtrooper” look of the rivalry. They used the same white helmet, the away version of their new jerseys from 2014 and brought back their white pants from the 2012 edition. The combination must have worked for them as they won the first iteration of The Belt
Game 5: 2016 – Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Mobile, AL – Troy won 28-21
South was the first to pull a full-on Stormtrooper look, but Troy decided to give it a go in 2016. This was the first time Troy altered their away look in the rivalry going white from head to toe, with the gorgeous white helmet. To me, this iced out version of our away uniform is synonymous with Brandon Silvers’ 2 pt conversion reception.
The Jags, on the other hand, opted for putting all of their colors on display. They used the same uniform as the 2014 Battle for the Belt, but with one major difference. They brought out their amazing matte blue helmet with a red outlined JAGS wordmark. I know Steve Campbell has tried to simplify South’s uniforms since he got there in 2018, but leaving this blue on the shelf is a huge misstep.
Game 6: 2017 – Veterans Memorial Stadium – Troy, AL – South Alabama won 19-8
After the blackout from 2 years earlier, Troy went back to a traditional look against USA. They once again donned the cardinal helmet and jersey, and white pants.
For South, they changed their look again for this game. For the first time in the rivalry, they wore red pants with a tapered white and blue stripe. They kept their standard white jerseys and helmets, but the helmets now had a red stripe and JAGS wordmark.
Game 7: 2018 – Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Mobile, AL – Troy won 38-17
Troy brought out the all-whites once again for the trip to Mobile, this time they brought back the cardinal helmet. Troy Equipment had left the white/black/white stripes on the cardinal helmets after the 1984 team tribute game. This look stuck and made the helmet pop even more than usual.
The Jags, in Steve Campbell’s first season, went back to a simplistic look. They used the helmet from the 2017 game and matched it with their red jersey and white pants. Though it can sometimes seem unimaginative, Steve Campbell has done a good job unifying the look of USA’s uniforms. This will help their branding long term, though I really wish that blue helmet would make another appearance soon.
2023 Update: It hasn’t, and it didn’t.
Game 8: 2019 – Veterans Memorial Stadium – Troy, AL – Troy won 37-13
Troy continued its tradition of wearing a cardinal jersey and white pants at home, but for 2019, the Trojans opted to wear their white helmet for the first time in The Vet. This made for a very similar look to what South used the previous year.
South brought back an updated Stormtrooper look from 2015. This time, it featured the red JAGS wordmark and stripe and pants with no stripes. Of South’s looks that they’ve used in their short history, this one is definitely in my Top 3.
Game 8: 2020 – Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, AL – Troy won 29-0
In the first version of this article, Ben predicted the look for this game:
With Campbell’s simplification of the uniforms, I would assume South will wear the white helmet, red jersey, and white pants for the first game in Hancock-Whitney Stadium. I believe Troy will most likely follow the established tradition and wear a cardinal helmet, white jersey, and white pants. There is a small chance though that they might break out the white helmet again, though.
He was 83% right, only getting South’s red pants wrong.
South Alabama was a one-trick pony under Steve Campbell, and this look was probably the Jags’ most extreme in his tenure. It was too little, too late though, and this shutout ended Campbell’s career in Mobile.
Troy on the other hand stuck to the most successful Battle for the Belt pieces in its closet: Cardinal helmet, white jersey and white pants. Troy even did simple uniforms better than South did.
Game 8: 2021 – Veterans Memorial Stadium – Troy, AL – Troy won 31-24
The Kane Wommack era at South went the complete opposite direction. The only guarantee was South wearing white helmets. Even the decals shook things up, as you can see from the Mobile skyline in the picture above.
On the other sideline, Chip Lindsey went to a look reminiscent of the first Battle for the Belt, with the Trojan Smoke helmets and black… everything else. He kept the streak alive and redeemed the “blackout” look six years later.
That was the end of the line though. Troy and South got rid of their mediocre head coaches and replaced them with energetic leaders.
Game 8: 2022 – Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, AL – Troy won 10-6
The blues are back in Mobile. Technically, South began the 2022 season in the blue jerseys, but the Jags brought back the all-blue look for rivalry week. Wommack also put the baseball logo on the helmet for the first time, creating the Jags’ best looking helmet since it wore a battleship on the side in 2017.
Troy brought back the “giant killer” look for the nationally-televised matchup, or the Sumrall variant at least. The Icy White helmets looked just as good with this uni as the chrome helmets.
The best-dressed edition of the rivalry ended up being the best matchup to date as well. The “Battle for the Belt” truly decided the Sun Belt West champion, and both teams ended with 10 wins for the first time ever.
Troy’s stout defense ended up making the difference, holding South to two field goals. DK Billingsley was the only person to cross the goal line though, and a fourth-quarter field goal put Troy on top for good.
Overall, both Troy and South have had some great uniform combinations. In the first iteration of this article, Ben chose the 2019 matchup as the best-looking, barely beating 2016. I would argue for the 2023 combo now, but these three are certainly in a class of their own.
Be sure to check out our other #SouthHateWeek stories!
Before the Belt: the Rivalry Across the Years
Battle for the Belt 101
Mel Lucas: The First Link
Troy Football in Mobile
Reuniting Champions