Bucs 1976 throwback uniforms – Photo by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After months of speculation – then teasers from the Bucs themselves – the day has finally come as Tampa Bay officially unveiled an alternate throwback uniform on Tuesday morning. This is just the latest bit of homage the Bucs are paying to their roots in celebration of the franchise’s 50th season, as this is the look they wore in their 1976 inaugural season.
The Bucs will wear the all-white throwbacks and Bucco Bruce helmets for their Week 3 home opener against the Jets. When Tampa Bay released its themes for its 2025 schedule, it had a 50th season logo under that Jets game. Some took it to mean the kickoff of the 50th season celebration, as it’s the team’s first home game of the 50th season. But speculation also grew that if the white throwbacks were returning, this would be the game they’d be worn for.
“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,” Bucs chief operating officer Brian Ford said in a press release. “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.”
Bucs Return To Their Humble Roots With This Throwback Uniform
These throwback jerseys are the true originals, as Tampa Bay wore an all-white look with orange numbers for the entirety of its first season back in 1976. The orange creamsicle jerseys were only worn in the preseason, with this all-white look becoming the go-to for the regular season. And it was a one-year wonder in a sense, too, as the Bucs made a change the following year, going from orange numbers with a red trim to red numbers with an orange trim.
Former Bucs QB Steve Spurrier Photo by: USA Today
As the team pointed out in its press release, the modern twists on the original jerseys are obviously the 50th season patch, as well as the words “Hey! Hey! Tampa Bay!” inside the collar as a tribute to the franchise’s first fight song, which debuted in 1979.
The initial talk that the Bucs might be debuting (or re-debuting) all-white throwback uniforms in 2025 seemingly came about by accident. Andrew Lind of SportsLogos.net wrote in March about a since-deleted Instagram post by Allan Peters, who designed Tampa Bay’s 50th season logo. That post included a white throwback version of the logo, as well as a white version of the team’s original uniforms. We wrote about that here on PewterReport.com at the time as well.
White/Creamsicle version of Bucs’ 50th anniversary logo (h/t SportsLogos.net)
More recently, Lind picked up another scoop that confirmed the speculation fueled by Peters’ deleted post. Lind reported on SportsLogos.net just a couple of weeks ago that these uniforms were, indeed, on their way. Then came the Bucs’ initial teaser, which featured Steve Spurrier, the quarterback of the inaugural team in 1976, walking into an office:
A week after that, the Bucs released an extended teaser, along with the date of the release:
And now it’s a reality, as the team’s original uniforms will making a return in 2025 – 50 years after they were worn for the first time.
Bucs Will Have Two Marquee Throwback Games For Their 50th Season
The creamsicles returned in 2023 when the Bucs hosted the Lions in their first throwback game since the 2012 season. Tampa Bay then broke out the creamsicles again last year for a home game against the Falcons. The team lost both games and its overall record in the throwbacks (as well as their overall record when they wore these uniforms way back when) is abysmal.
But there’s no denying that the return of the creamsicles was a commercial success, as it created plenty of national buzz on social media and through channels like NFL Network and ESPN. Both the 2023 and 2024 creamsicle games also saw a whole lot of orange in the seats at Raymond James Stadium, making it clear that the majority of Buccaneer fans were excited to snatch up throwback jerseys of their current favorite players as well as other creamsicle and Bucco Bruce merch for the occasion.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today
That’s why it was no surprise to see the team announce another creamsicle game in 2025, especially considering it’s the 50th season for the franchise. That game will once again be against the Falcons at Raymond James Stadium, and it’ll come in a Week 15 Thursday Night Football matchup.
And now we know that Tampa Bay will be breaking out its all-white throwbacks with the Bucco Bruce helmet for its Week 3 home opener against the Jets. That game is set for Sunday, Sept. 21, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
This is obviously the first time in team history that the Bucs will have two throwback games in one season, and it’s a fitting first as they celebrate 50 years of football in Tampa Bay.