The Univ. of Arizona’s new facemask design on its football helmet “has taken hold of the collective attention of the college football world,” according to Matt Swartz of FOXSPORTSARIZONA.com. A picture of an Arizona helmet “with the traditional block ‘A’ embedded in the facemask started circulating on Twitter on Sunday,” and the image has “generated a whole lot of conversation.” BadAss Masks Founder & Owner Alan MacFerran, who designed the facemask, said, “So far, it’s been polarizing. People either love it or they don’t love it.” He added, “They’re (real facemasks), but they’re for display models. That Arizona ‘A’ is not gonna be on the field.” The university confirmed that the helmets “were not being considered for on-field use -- not yet, anyway -- with a spokesperson saying there was ‘no chance’ of them seeing the field.” But there has been “no official statement on exactly what the helmets featuring the new facemasks will be used for.” One possibility is “prominent placement in the brand-new Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, which will open this year as part of a massive renovation project at Arizona Stadium.” One obstacle is “getting the facemasks certified by NOCSAE, the standard safety certifier for athletic equipment such as helmets.” MacFerran’s goal is “to get his facemasks more widely distributed and on the field -- both college and professional -- in the near future” (FOXSPORTSARIZONA.com, 6/10).
