It must be tough for programs like Florida Atlantic to generate a lot of buzz any time of the year. Playing top level college football in the same state as Florida, Florida State and Miami is challenging enough. Throw in South Florida and Central Florida, not to mention Florida International and you can see how fighting for headlines is a chore. And keep in mind that Florida Atlantic will never have a chance to stand out among the big names the way Florida Gulf Coast did in this past season's men's basketball tournament.
So what is a program to do but turn things over to the fans to have a say in how they will suit up, right? That is what Florida Atlantic is doing for this year's uniform according to a Sun Sentinel report, as the program's fans and prospective fans will have a chance to settle a tie between players and coaches.
Florida Atlantic will have new helmets for the 2013 season, but which one they go with remains to be seen. Players have voted on a gray version of the new dome, while coaches have chosen to go with a red version. This Saturday, at Florida Atlantic's spring game, fans will attending will be asked to vote for their favorite helmet, which also includes a blue version. In all, five helmets will be available for fans to review and cast a vote for.
Unfortunately we do not have a confirmation on what the other helmets look like, but it might be safe to assume at least one of the other options will be a white helmet. There is this leaked photo that supposedly shows off the red and blue helmet options, although the finer details are not at all visible.
Whatever the case, this is a great way for a program like Florida Atlantic to engage with their fans a little bit more at a time when we are witnessing programs left and right find news ways to grab some extra attention this spring. Without a solid history or nationally recognized players to show off, allowing fans a voice in uniforms is a safe route to travel.
Florida Atlantic modified their helmets slightly in 2012, switching from a red facemask to a white one. The last time the program made any notable changes to the helmet came in 2005, with an updated "FAU" branding on the side to move away from a more basic block lettering.
Helmet sticker to Kristi Dosh.
Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
