Buccaneers' retro 'Creamsicle' uniforms get an official return date for 2023 season
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' iconic "Creamsicle" uniforms will make their return against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 15. It will be fans' first taste of their retro favorite in over 10 years.
The Buccaneers will face a familiar opponent during the nostalgic Week 6 matchup. The Lions and Tampa Bay faced off for years in the NFC Central division. The team's first playoff game in 14 years was a wild-card victory over the Lions at the end of the 1997 season, although they'd switched to their current colors by then. Both teams were part of the division until 2001.
The Buccaneers wore the "Florida orange" and white combination when it entered the league as an expansion team in 1976. It kept those uniforms until '96, as the team transitioned to pewter, white and red soon after the Glazer family assumed ownership.
After the shift, the team would still wear the throwback uniforms once a year from 2009-12. Since the ensemble includes white helmets and the Bucco Bruce logo, its annual resurgence stopped when the NFL required players to wear the same helmet for the entire season.
Some might say that the old uniforms represent an era of losing football for the team, which is true. The Buccaneers lost their first 26 games in the beloved colors. They went on to make back-to-back playoff appearances in the early '80s and struggled to make it back to the postseason until their rebrand.
Fans probably have recent positive memories of the revival of the uniforms, though. When the team first brought them back in '09, they won their first game in the uniform after starting 0-8, beating Green Bay 38-28.
The unique uniform combination was set to be revived again in 2022 but was delayed due to global supply challenges. The team teased the 2023 return in April, and now it's on the horizon.
'More than a throwback game'
The Buccaneers aren't just bringing the old uniforms back. They've planned a "full Creamsicle experience" for the October matchup in celebration of nearly 50 years of franchise history.
"This is more than a throwback game; it is a celebration of our legacy and some of the great moments and players that make our story so special to our fans," Buccaneers chief operating officer Brian Ford said.
The team set the tone for the commemoration with a retro video promotion:
As part of the effort, the organization will transform Raymond James Stadium with retro field stencils, stadium decorations and video board effects. The environment will give nods to the team's founding playing grounds at Tampa Stadium, also known as "The Big Sombrero."
