*Image: Cal Poly Athletics / Cal Poly Football (@calpolyfootball on X). Editorial use only.*

Well, this is a first.

If you’re reading this right now, you’re probably curious about why I chose this topic and why I’m writing it, Cal Poly’s New Gold Helmet and Why It Took 50 Years to Return.

My name is Ethan Bronson, co-founder of Bronson Made, LLC. Let me give you a little background on myself. For the last eleven years, I’ve been playing tackle football, most recently finishing my career as a Division 1 college football player at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, better known as Cal Poly.

Playing football was, and to be honest, will always be, a huge part of how I see myself. I don’t go around telling everyone I played college football, but when I look in the mirror, that’s still the person I see.

Outside of dedicating a large portion of my life to the game, I’ve always been passionate about branding and marketing. If you’ve read the About section on this website, you know how important that’s always been to me. I just never had an outlet to fully express it until now.

As I write more of these, you’ll get to know me better, but for today I want to dive into the topic at hand: Cal Poly Football’s new helmet.

Who reads blogs anymore?

I think that question is a valid one to ask, but to be honest I’m not writing this to get millions, thousands, or even hundreds of views. I created this blog on our website just to have an outlet. Bronson Made is designed to let a company’s voice be heard, but I also want our creators to feel like they are empowered to do the same thing. This blog does not have any mission or direction in terms of what we will be discussed. I just want our creators to feel like they can come on here and talk about anything they feel passionate about regarding marketing or branding.

*Photo Credit: “New Oregon Ducks Football Uniforms” via SportsPlatform (legacymedia.sportsplatform.io*)

My Weird Passions

It didn’t really hit me that I was obsessed with sports uniforms until one of my friends asked me, pretty bluntly, “You love looking at uniforms, don’t you?” I paused for a second because I had never thought about it that way. To me, everyone cared about the little details; the stripe width, the helmet finish, the font choice, but apparently, not everyone does.

I’ve always found myself asking questions like, why is it so important for traditional teams to keep their sandwich method? Why does Nike seem so determined to stray from a team’s core identity? And what is it about the uniforms from the 1970s that makes them feel so nostalgic?

These are the kinds of questions I’d constantly think about, but rarely say out loud. When I did, people usually had one of two reactions: “Wow, this guy is crazy,” or “Man, he’s really spent a lot of time thinking about this.” It wasn’t until that conversation with my friend that I realized this wasn’t just a casual interest. It was a genuine passion.

Why Gold Means Something

That’s the thing about uniforms, they’re not just clothes. They’re storytelling tools. They’re branding devices. They’re identity pieces. When you strip away tradition for the sake of fitting into what’s trending, you risk losing what makes you distinct in the first place.

Cal Poly’s gold helmet is more than just a color. It’s a symbol of what this program used to stand for, a confident and unique identity that didn’t need to blend in to be relevant. For the last decade or so, the design philosophy across sports has leaned toward minimalism. Clean lines, simple palettes, and an almost corporate-like restraint. It looks modern, sure, but it also creates sameness. Every team wants to look like Alabama, Oregon, or whoever happens to be popular that season.

Photo Credit: Cal Poly Athletics via FBSchedules.com

When “Clean” Became Common

When I played, I think our program fell into that trap a bit. The uniforms were sharp, but they were safe. Players wanted what looked best in photos, what would pop on Instagram or look good in a commitment edit. From a recruiting perspective, that makes sense. Every player today has grown up seeing aesthetics through the lens of social media.

But from a brand standpoint, it meant we were missing a chance to tell our own story. Cal Poly’s colors have always had meaning. Green is our foundation. It represents agriculture, the land, and the hands-on grit that defines the school. Gold is the reward. It symbolizes achievement and excellence that comes after the hard work. When you remove gold from that equation, you are removing the punchline to the story.

Finding Confidence Again

Gold, to me, always represented Cal Poly’s hidden confidence. It’s bold, timeless, and rooted in something deeper than what’s trending. When I saw the gold helmets come back, it felt like the first time the program finally leaned into what makes it Cal Poly instead of worrying about how it compares to everyone else.

I think that’s what so many sports brands, college programs especially, get wrong. They chase acceptance. They want to be recognized for fitting in, not for standing out. But the truth is, a great brand doesn’t need to be universally liked. It just needs to be authentic.
Cal Poly wearing gold again isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about rediscovery. It’s about realizing that your story is strong enough to stand on its own, even if it doesn’t match the minimalist aesthetic of every Nike catalog.

*Photo Credit: Sports Team History via* *sportsteamhistory.com*

What It Teaches Us About Branding

In a lot of ways, this is the same conversation we have with clients at Bronson Made. Brands lose their way when they start worrying about what everyone else is doing. They chase trends, copy competitors, and forget the power of their own story. The best brands, the ones that endure, don’t dilute their identity to fit in. They double down on what makes them different.

That’s what Cal Poly did when they put that gold helmet back on. They reminded everyone who they were, even if it took 50 years to do it.

Photo Credit: Cal Poly Athletics (gopoly.com)

A Personal Note

As a former player, it’s hard not to think about what it would’ve felt like to run out of that tunnel wearing gold. It’s more than nostalgia, it’s pride. Seeing the team in those helmets made me realize something that also drives everything we do at Bronson Made. Whether it’s a football program or a brand, confidence comes from owning your identity. When you stop chasing trends and start embracing what makes you unique, that’s when people remember you.

Written by Ethan Bronson, Co-Founder of Bronson Made, LLC

Something Way Overdue | Blog #1