Oregon football players used three helmets last season — green, black and white — that were mixed and matched with myriad uniform combinations.
The Ducks were pioneers in football fashion and other schools have followed, using helmets to make a statement. Now, the NCAA wants to determine whether style is coming at the expense of safety.
The governing body's football oversight committee will meet this week in Indianapolis and is to begin studying whether multiple helmets could lead to more concussions and serious head and neck injuries.
"The notion is that let's do as much research and data collection as we can to be able to start answering those questions as to whether one helmet or more helmets is the best way to go in terms of short and long-term safety," said Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson, who leads the NCAA football competition committee that reports to oversight.