ELLENSBURG, Wash. — When the 2021 season begins, the Central Washington University football team will be sporting a bit of a new look. The subtle uniform change will feature social justice-related stickers affixed to the back of players' helmets.
 
"This is something we had planned on doing as early as September," said Chris Fisk, CWU head football coach. "It came about from internal conversation among our coaching staff, with some input from the leadership groups on our football team. They were excited about being able to voice their opinion on social justice."
 
The four distinct decals are crimson-on-white outlines of Washington state with the words and phrases "end racism," "anti-racism," "unity," and "equality" in uppercase, white lettering.
 
"We didn't settle on what words we would include on the helmets until January," Fisk noted.
 
The decals are two-and-a-quarter inches wide by one-and-a-third inches tall, and will be placed on the back of the head gear in time for the Wildcats' season opener April 10 at the University of Montana.
 
"We have always had a state of Washington sticker on the back with a star for Ellensburg," Fisk added. "We've replaced the star with our social justice words."

 CWU is the only Great Northwest Athletic Conference school that has announced plans to add social justice-related helmet decals for the upcoming season.
 
"Anti-racism has been our mantra this year in the athletic department, not just in the football program," Fisk pointed out.
 
The Wildcats began preseason, full-contact practices this week.

Article courtesy of Robert Lowery, Director of Radio Services and Integrated Communications in the CWU Public Affairs office