Missouri Will Wear Retro Tiger Paw Helmets in Spring Game

Seemingly as a way to make former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant feel at home in his new digs, Missouri announced on Thursday it will wear helmets that feature a retro Tiger Paw logo for its upcoming Spring Game.

Throwin' it 🔙 for the Spring Game 👀#MIZ #ShowMe 🐯🏈 pic.twitter.com/3INULReRUw
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) April 11, 2019

The Tiger Paw — which prominently displays a gold Block “M” inside the metacarpal pad — has never been worn on Missouri’s helmets. In fact, the alternate mark has only been used on fan gear and in a limited capacity throughout the athletic department since its introduction in 1983.

Missouri instead wore some variation of the Block “M” for the 41 years prior to a rebrand in 2012, which coincided with a move from the Big XII to the SEC.

The white-black-gold-black-white stripes, on the other hand, were a fixture on the Tigers’ helmet from 1956-2011 — only to be replaced by modern stripes that feature sublimated tiger print. They made their return for the Liberty Bowl last December, and will be a permanent part of the team’s black and white helmets moving forward.

Smaller details include a new rear helmet bumper that replicates Missouri’s diamond end zone pattern, as well as a helmet sticker with the phrase “Make It Right” — a response to the sanctions handed down by the NCAA that step from self-reported violations that found a tutor provided improper academic assistance to 12 student-athletes on the football, baseball and softball teams. All three programs received one-year bans from the postseason and scholarship reductions, though the Tigers officially filed an appeal last month and await a ruling.

Missouri’s annual Black and Gold Spring Game will be held Saturday, April 13. Kickoff at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.