FIU Panthers Football Goes Miami Vice vs. Sam Houston State

FIU Panthers debut their Miami Vice-inspired jerseys at Pitbull Stadium in a nationally televised October 22 game.

October 22, 2024

Image: Four FIU football players wearing white Miami Vice-themed jerseys with pink and aqua accents, posing against a bright pink background

FIU players will sport their new Miami Vice-inspired uniforms at Pitbull Stadium tonight (October 22) at their recently renamed home field, Pitbull Stadium. FIU Twitter

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Florida International University (FIU) is bringing the heat to the gridiron tonight with a bold new look. In a nod to the 40th anniversary of the iconic TV series Miami Vice, the Panthers will debut pastel-accented jerseys for their home game against Sam Houston State at the newly renamed Pitbull Stadium. The matchup will be aired on the ESPNU cable network at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

#ViceU on @ESPNU tonight 🍿

Presented by @pitbull pic.twitter.com/tIxCHLIJ6x
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 22, 2024

The "Vice U" uniforms are all Miami: sleek, flashy, and replete with 305 energy. The jerseys feature white as the base color, with pops of aqua and fuchsia, paying homage to the vibrant Miami Vice aesthetic that ruled TV screens in the 1980s. The details are pure fire: palm tree prints, a speedboat graphic on the back collar, and a font straight out of the show's opening credits. It's like Miami Vice rolled into a jersey.

This is the second time FIU has dropped Vice U gear, and the rollout was fittingly extra. (Earlier this month, a promo video made waves online, with players cruising Biscayne Bay on a 42-foot Cigarette boat.)

2024 #ViceU uniforms are officially here. pic.twitter.com/wnQ1Fct9KL
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 4, 2024

FIU's football program may not yet be a household name in NCAA circles, but the team is making moves to elevate its brand — the deal to rename its stadium after Miami's Pitbull was only the beginning. UniWatch reports that the Panthers plan to switch up their uniform combinations for every game this season, going full Oregon Ducks-style with 12 unique looks, including a light-blue "Biscayne Bay" set that leans even harder into the South Florida aesthetic.

They're also switching up their field design for every home game — making them the only NCAA team to do so. Tonight, Pitbull Stadium will be decked out to match the Vice U theme, cementing the Panthers as the team that brings a little extra Miami flavor to everything they do.

#ViceU mode activated 👀

Field design 4 of 6 for 2024 🎨 pic.twitter.com/l60GtcxAEh
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 21, 2024

And if you want to wear a piece of the action, the jerseys are available for purchase online.

FIU Panthers vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats. Tuesday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. at Pitbull Stadium, 11310 SW 17th St., Miami; 305-348-4263; fiusports.com. Tickets are $17-$64 via fiutickets.com.

Though she's a Jersey girl by birth, former staff writer Zulekha Pitts — Zee to her family and friends, has deep roots in Florida. Before coming to New Times in 2024, she worked as a content creator and digital producer for USA Today and content producer for 3TV and CBS 5 News in Phoenix and also has experience as a digital host for the jewelry home-shopping channel Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, Zee is wrapping up a master's in communication at Villanova.

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