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          Cincinnati's new helmets lead best Week 1 college football uniforms

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          • ESPN
          Aug 29, 2025, 09:39 AM

          Week 1 of the 2025 college football season has arrived, with most teams officially getting their seasons underway.

          As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. And the very first such impression teams will make on their fans in Week 1 will come when they run out of the tunnel, fresh threads and all.

          One team making a major early impression with its gear? The Cincinnati Bearcats.

          The Bearcats are opening their season under the lights against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Arrowhead Stadium, and they will wear a uniform feature appropriate for the special occasion: script lettering on the team's helmets.

          Normally, the Bearcats' lids feature the school's c-paw logo. This week, though, a new, gleaming red "Cincy" helmet will make its debut. Cincinnati will match the helmet with the rest of the uniform's all-red look.

          The Bearcats aren't the only team to start off the season strong, either. Here are some of the top uniforms from Week 1 of the college football season.

          The NC State Wolfpack are opening up the season on Thursday with their new "City of Oaks" uniform, which was unveiled earlier in the month. The look pays homage to the school's location in Raleigh, North Carolina -- nicknamed the City of Oaks -- with a twist on the team's classic red-and-white threads.

          A trio of stripes runs down the jersey's shoulder pads and over the center of the helmet. "NC State" is featured on the helmets and chest plate, with "City of Oaks" displayed on the back of the helmet.

          All-white uniform combinations are always a safe bet to hit, a premise that's especially true when the look is accented by the gold numbers and stripes that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will don this week.

          The Yellow Jackets showcased their Week 1 combination with a flashy video that contrasts their threads with a sparkling metallic silver background.

          Another team that went the all-white route with great aplomb was the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, who asked their fans to match their team's uniforms by wearing their own white attire in the stands.

          The Hilltoppers' look features red and black stripes on the shoulder and down the center of the helmet.