LOOK: Buccaneers bring back iconic ‘creamsicle’ uniforms at part of team’s 50th anniversary celebration

The 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will certainly look the part as the franchise begins its yearlong celebration of its 50th season. That celebration will include the return of the team’s original jerseys from its inaugural season back in 1976. The Buccaneers will wear their 1976 uniforms for their Week 1 showdown against the New York Jets. 

The all-white uniforms include their iconic “creamsicle” color scheme of Florida orange, white and red. It will also include the team’s original pirate helmet. This version of the Buccaneers’ uniform hasn’t been worn since the ’76 season. 

Tampa Bay’s promotional video for the uniforms was narrated by Steve Spurrier, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who served as the franchise’s first starting quarterback. The video also included cameos from several current and former players and coaches. 

The Buccaneers used a variation of this uniform through the 1996 season before they completely overhauled their look ahead of the 1997 season. While the Buccaneers have won two Super Bowls in their new color scheme, the team’s original uniforms have grown in popularity in the years since they were taken out of circulation. 

One reason for that could be that the uniforms are no longer affiliated with losing, which was largely the case back then. Nicknamed the “Yucks,” Tampa Bay lost its first 26 games and won just seven games during its first three seasons. While they did enjoy some success in the late 1970s and early ’80s that included a trip to the NFC title game in 1979, the Buccaneers followed that up with 13 consecutive losing seasons. Ironically, the losing streak ended the first year that the Buccaneers changed uniforms. That also happened to be the first year in Tampa for future Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy. 

“The ’76 Jersey represents a piece of Buccaneers history and serves as a tribute to the generations of fans and players who shaped this franchise,” Buccaneers chief operating officer Brian Ford said. “As we launch into our 50th season, we’re proud to reintroduce The ’76 Jersey and the tradition it embodies. It is a reminder that every Buccaneers fan, from the originals to the newest generation, is part of an evolving story that started in 1976 and continues being written today.”