Notes on the map and chart…
Instead of just listing last season’s average attendance for each team, there are now 3 columns…2008 average; Percent Capacity [of stadium]; and Change From 2007 [by percentage]. This list is at the right-hand side of the map. Below that is the list of SEC titles by team, including total seasons played in the SEC. Titles won in other major conferences, for Arkansas (in the defunct Southwest Conference) and South Carolina (in the ACC) are noted at the bottom.
On the far right, in the chart section, each team is listed top to bottom by how they finished in their division in 2008. The bulk of the images in each team’s section are devoted to depicting each teams’ helmet styles, and their changes through the years, starting with the modern helmet’s introduction in the post-war era circa 1946 to 1950 (which is when plastic composite helmets replaced the old leather helmets of the pre-war era). The helmets are chronologically listed from left to right, and top to bottom, for each team. The current helmet design is placed at the bottom right of each team’s section. This is not a comprehensive list, but all major helmet changes and most minor helmet changes are shown, with the following exceptions. The only two logo-based helmets (that I am aware of) which I couldn’t find a suitable image of are the Kentucky Wildcats’ split blue helmet of circa 1963-1968, with the players’ numeral on the left-hand side [which is shown on the chart], and the head of a snarling wildcat on the right-hand side; and the Mississippi State maroon bulldog-head-in-three-quarters-profile helmet of 1963-1965. In the Helmet Project site’s notes on their Southeastern Conference page, there are photos and descriptions of these two helmets {click here, then click on ‘Southeastern’, from the column on the left, then scroll to find the two teams’ sections}. And there are a few helmet designs I have left out of various teams’ sections because they were of a design that had been used previously, or were very slight modifications of logo size or center-stripe.
Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org (click here (’2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season’)}. Thanks to the excellent site Helmet Hut, where you can buy the old helmets, or any custom design {click here}. Thanks to the Helmet Project site at http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/ . This is the only site I can find that actually tries to tackle the helmet histories of NCAA teams, and there are still a good deal of gaps and unknown designs. Thanks to this site, http://helmet-history.com/ , which was a real help in filling in the gaps somewhat.
