TCNJ football fit for ESPN

The team’s throwback uniforms get a national homecoming

Words by TCNJ Editorial Staff

The story on the field at TCNJ’s 2025 homecoming football game was one of dominance, as the team defeated William Paterson 42–0. But an equally exciting story from that day was in how the team suited up. Players wore specially made uniforms reminiscent of the 1990s, and the buzz snapped them into the spotlight on ESPN’s “Gear Up” segment. Producer Temitayo Anjou gives us his post-game report.

It was exciting to see our college on ESPN. Tell us about “Gear Up” and your role.

“Gear Up” is a weekly segment that airs on SportsCenter during the college football season. It’s usually in the 8 a.m. Eastern hour, before “Game Day,” so it sets the table pretty well. It’s been a very popular segment, and it’s fun for us to do. I am a content producer for ESPN, and I have been involved with “Gear Up” since we first started it in 2018. The segment has changed a bunch over time, but the goal is still the same: showcasing cool, unique uniforms in college football.

Why do you think fans are so interested in the stories behind the uniforms?

There’s a passion for college football in all facets, and that includes the uniforms and the tradition of them. It’s part of the love and pageantry of the sport. Teams are trying different things to entice the fanbase as well as to get the players excited to go out and play on the field.

Why did you choose to feature TCNJ?

I wanted to do a homecoming-themed segment. I came upon the website for TCNJ, and it said something about their homecoming fest and retro uniforms. So I reached out. They were going to wear uniforms that were a throwback to 1995. The jerseys had mesh, and that was a very ’90s thing, so I loved that aspect of it. And for their helmets, what caught my eye was the old-school look of the TSC logo in the outline of the state of New Jersey.

What happened next?

We spoke to folks at the college and they sent what we needed for us to put the uniform on our mannequin. We have a half-dozen different mannequins that we dress in the uniforms that we feature. We ask for everything that comes with the uniform: the helmets, the socks, the belts, armbands, and any accoutrements that are part of the look.

The TSC throwback helmets were a big hit. And a lot of work.

Matt Beym, assistant director of athletics for equipment, and equipment coordinator Phil Gogarty ’23 stripped the original helmets of chin straps, face masks, and screws so that new skins could be stretched on, lined up, and reassembled. It was akin to minor surgery, done with a multi-tool, a power drill, and very tired fingers. Here are the stats for the record book:

100

# of helmets transformed in a single week

20 minutes

Time it took to skin and reassemble each helmet

40

# of pieces on each helmet adjusted for each skin

33 hours

Hands-on time to convert all 100 helmets

Photo: Alan Marroquin