Nebraska's first helmet was red with a single white stripe, later changed to plain white with a black number on the side. From 1967 to 1969, the helmet featured a red, offset "NU" on each side. In 1970, this was changed to the now-familiar single "N", although a few "NU" helmets remained as late as 1972. The change was necessitated due to a shortage of "U" stickers, and when the program claimed its first national championship, the single N remained. The helmet design has remained essentially unchanged since, with the exception of a facemask switch from grey to red in 1982.