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We created Helmet Bowl to give you the say in which are the best college football helmets in the country.

We start with one helmet from every college football team. Often, the Equipment Managers who design and create the helmet submit to us an image of the helmet they want in the contest.

This year, for Helmet Bowl III, we created a three-week Conference contest for each of the 77 football Conferences in the country. After three weeks of voting, 1,000s of votes had been cast and we had all but three Conference Champions.

After the three tie-breakers, every Conference had its Champion. Schutt Sports has donated Helmet Bowl III Conference Championship trophies and they will be shipped to Equipment Managers by the end of the month.

This year we introduce an additional way a team can make it into the National Championship – a play-in round. Sixteen teams have been selected to play for four spots in the Championship. Four teams have been selected for each of the four national regions.

We reached out to Equipment Managers and then sat down and selected the teams – it's the only time in Helmet Bowl where we make decisions about who moves on. However, the real decision is with you – who moves forward? It's up to you.

The Play-in brackets launch today at noon. Each of the two rounds lasts one week and in the end, one team will be seeded #16 in each of the National Championship regions.

Here's who made it.

East Play-in Round

The New Jersey Lions have won their Conference Championship but this year got beat, barely, by the William Paterson Pioneers in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Due to their strong history in Helmet Bowl, and the strong voting of the conference (The NJAC gathered the second most votes in the country!) the Lions are in.

(Another note on the Lions – it is possible that the Lions will face the Pioneers in the first round of the National Championship in the East or North Region. If so, it may be the greatest Seed #1 vs Seed #16 in the history of Helmet Bowl.)

The Elon Phoenix were runners up on the Colonial Athletic Conference to the Richmond Spiders, but we love their moxie and their helmet. The Phoenix are in.

The Wooster Fighting Scots simply have a cool helmet. That charging warrior with the sword drawn creates a unique look. They won the North Coast, but votes there weren't enough to gain an automatic place in the National Championship. The Fighting Scots are in.

The Gannon Golden Knights battled the similarly donned Seton Hill Griffons and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference by a handful of votes. The Conference didn't have enough votes for an automatic bid, but now have a chance to get into the National Championship. The Golden Knights are in.

South Play-in Round

Vanderbilt Commodores have maybe the most beautiful and most underrated, under-voted helmet in the country. They got beat in the SEC Championship by Ole Miss, but deserve a shot at the National Championship. Frankly, DI schools often lack the votes in Helmet Bowl. However, if you're not Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, or one of a very few elite programs, the Helmet Bowl is where your Championship hopes should rest. The Commodores are in.

Kennesaw State Owls were a quarter-finalist in Helmet Bowl I and though they lost to a great Campbell Fighting Camels helmet in the conference contest, they deserve a shot. The Owls are in.

Virginia Military Institute Keydets have experienced success in Helmet Bowl in the past and their clean, attractive helmet gives them another chance now. VMI lost by just four votes to the Samford Bulldogs for the Southern Conference Championship. The Keydets are in.

St. Thomas Bobcats simply have a cool helmet – so we put them in. The Bobcats won the Mid-South Conference, but conference voting was sub-par and they now have a chance anyway. The Bobcats are in.

West Play-in Round

San Diego State Aztecs put forth a gorgeous helmet. It was the Helmet Bowl I National Championship Runner-up to the Gallaudet Bison. The Aztec calendar is embossed on a candy-apple red helmet and though they lost by a small margin to the Wyoming Cowboys in the Mountain West this year, they get this chance. The Aztecs are in.

Redlands Bulldogs pushed and pushed and pushed, but came up just a bit short to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – but the voting was HUGE. The SCIAC gathered the third-most votes in the country and if the Bulldogs can somehow win the play-in, they may have another shot at the Stags. The Bulldogs are in.

Sterling Warriors – look, the ready knight is cool. We like it and for that reason, the Warriors are in. Nobody in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic has ever beaten the Ottawa Braves, but the Warriors came within one vote. The Warriors are in.

The Ottawa Braves won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference for the third time in Helmet Bowl III – a feat not accomplished by any team except the Gallaudet Bison. Though we originally chose the Linfield Wildcats for this slot due to their crazy sailor-hatted cat, the Braves deserve a shot and they are in.

North Play-in Round

This is a very strong play-in bracket, lead by the strong Eastern Michigan Eagles green helmet with the diamond plate E. We don't know who came up with it, why, or how in the world the voters of the Mid-American only ranked it SIXTH (!), but we are giving them another chance. The Eagles are in.

The Montana State Bobcats lost by five votes to the Sacramento State Hornets in the Big Sky, but have this simple, fierce blue bobcat outline on a plain white helmet. It's cool. The Bobcats are in.

The Idaho State Bengals put this chrome-like overlayed I and S in a cooper-like color on its white helmet and, yes, cool! Though they landed seventh in the Big Sky, they get another shot. The Bengals are in.

The Lakeland Muskies may have gotten in just because of their name, but they won the Northern Athletics Conference and came up just short of the top 60, so they get a shot. The toothy Muskies are in.

One Vote Winners

Commonwealth Coast – One Vote! The Salve Regina Seahawks who somehow take the overlapping S and R and make a really attractive helmet, defeat the Western New England Golden Bears.

Empire 8 – ONE VOTE! The Saint John Fisher Cardinals win by one one the Utica Pioneers.

USA South Atlantic – ONE VOTE! The Brevard College Tornados defeat the Huntingdon College Hawks by one.

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic – ONE VOTE! The Platteville Pioneers had it in hand for most of the week, but the Stout Blue Devils, who have shown us they know how to win, did just that by one vote.

Kansas Collegiate Athletic – ONE VOTE! Taking their third Helmet Bowl Conference Championship the Ottawa Braves sneak by the Sterling Warriors. Does anyone think maybe that Warrior helmet should get another chance?

Michigan Intercollegiate – ONE VOTE! This was a fun one to watch! The Finlandia Lions were going for their third conference trophy in a row, but came up one short against a strong helmet from the Hope Flying Dutchmen who have yet to explain it to us.

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic -ONE VOTE! The Clark Atlanta Panthers devastate the hopes of the Kentucky State Thorobreds by the slimmest of margins.

Northeast – ONE VOTE! The Robert Morris Colonials tiptoe past the Sacred Heart Pioneers for a one-vote victory.

Two Vote Winners

Great Northwest – The Western Oregon Wolves defeat the Central Washington Wildcats by just five percent!

Big South – Whoa! The Campbell Fighting Camels charged past the two-time Conference Champion Kennesaw State Owls by just two votes to win it!

Frontier – TWO VOTES! The College of Idaho Coyotes have been big participants in Helmet Bowl, but not quite big enough this year as the Southern Oregon Raiders pull the upset!

Great American – TWO VOTES! The Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm ended their year last year a National semi-finalist. This year they squeak by the Northwestern Oklahoma Rangers to win the Conference. Do they have enough votes to get into the Nationals this year?

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic – TWO VOTES! The Ashland Eagles sneak by the Ferris State Bulldogs.

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics – The Central Missouri Mules knock off the Northwest Missouri Bearcats only to be beat by TWO VOTES by the Nebraska Kearney Lopers.

Mid-American – TWO VOTES! The Toledo Rockets nudge the Buffalo Bills out of the way and claim the championship.

Southern Athletic – TWO VOTES! The Austin College Kangaroos put forth a golden helmet with a soft red roo and it wins against the odd Rhodes Lynx lid.

Upper Midwest Athletic – TWO VOTES! The Westminster Blue Jays drop by two to a cool Greenville Panthers topper.

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – TWO VOTES! The Millikin Big Blue defeat the North Park Vikings by two for the trophy.

Northeast 10 – TWO VOTES! The Bentley Falcons, with their simple but attractive bi-color shield, defeat the feathery Saint Anselm Hawks by two.

Mid-States Football – TWO VOTES! The Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats, in their sophomore season of football, go for the two point win and convert over the St. Francis Fighting Saints.

New England Women's & Men's Athletic – TWO VOTES! The Worchester Polytechnic Engineers with some sort of goat with a flat head on their helmet defeat, just barely, the Norwich Cadets.

Three Vote Winners

Middle Atlantic – The Alvernia Gold Wolves gathered three more votes than the Fairleigh Dickinson Devils to win. Three votes!

Mid-West Athletic – THREE VOTES! The Beloit Buccaneers were trailing the morning of the first day, but then end up beating the Chicago Maroons by a slim margin.

Big 12 – The Kansas State Wildcats win by 3 votes over the West Virginia Mountaineers. Will the Wildcats be satisfied with the Conference win, or will they make some noise in the Nationals?

The National Champions

Eastern Collegiate Football – We think the Bison at Gallaudet may have been holding their breath Monday as the Dean Bulldogs made a late charge. But it wasn't enough and Gallaudet becomes one of two teams to three-peat as a

Centennial – The defending National Champion Dickinson Red Devils hold off a Moravian Greyhound push to win the Conference again and position themselves for a repeat.

Three-Peat Conference Champs

Yes, Gallaudet kept the streak alive with a third Conference Championship. Joining them are the Ottawa Braves (see above) from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic.

Ties

In three contests, we had to go to a tie breaker – a one-time, 24 hour vote on Twitter for all the marbles.

The Lyon Scots win BIG in the Sooner Athletic and the Dakota State Trojans win ENORMOUS in the North Star. Will these teams take advantage of their momentum? The Saint Augustine Falcons also win comfortably in the Central Intercollegiate.

The Rest

Great Northwest – The Western Oregon Wolves defeat the Central Washington Wildcats by just five percent!

Conference USA – The Alabama Birmingham Blazers forgo a blazer (?) for their helmet and win with a dragon over the Southern Miss Golden Eagle helmet which uncharacteristically did not change for the contest.

Atlantic Coast – the Louisville Cardinals rode their red chrome past the angry North Carolina State Wolfpack.

American Athletic – Navy. Go Navy. This gorgeous helmet scored big, but Southern Methodist Mustangs weren't too far behind.

American Southwest – the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders brought the votes -a few more than the cool East Texas Baptist Tigers.

Big Sky – the Sacramento State Hornets stung the Montana State Bobcats by just five more votes!

Big Ten – Finally. The Maryland Terrapins have brought one of the most beautiful helmets into the contest, but cannot advance far in the Nationals. Will they this year after defeating Michigan?

Colonial Athletic – Two great helmets. The Richmond Spiders defeat the Elon Phoenix for the win.

Great Lakes Valley – The McKendree Bears defeat the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds.

Great Midwest Athletic – The Lake Erie Storm win big over the Walsh Cavaliers.

Gulf South – In the battle of the “wests” the Argonauts of West Florida defeated the West Alabama Tigers.

Heart of America – In slow voting, the Culver-Stockton Wildcats return to the Championship stage; this time over the Clarke Pride.

Heartland Collegiate Athletic – the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers took the Hoosier battle against the Franklin Grizzlies in a late push to win.

American Rivers – the Central College Dutch emerge victorious with a simple Cincinnati Reds' C helmet over the Nebraska Wesleyan PrairieWolves.

Ivy League – The Tigers of Princeton unseat the Cornell Big Red in slow voting.

Liberty League – the Hobart Statesman slash a medium-sized H diagonally and come away with the W over the Buffalo State Bengals.

Lone Star – the UT Permian Basin Falcons return to the Championship podium over the Texas A&M Commerce Lions.

Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic – Fitchburg State Falcons triple the voting of the Bridgewater State Bears for the win.

Mid-Eastern Athletic – The Howard Bison seemed to struggle against a Florida A&M Rattlers helmet, but a strong finish gives them the clear victory.

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic – the Saint Olaf Oles beat the once-champion Saint Thomas Tommies for the trophy.

Missouri Valley Football – The Indiana State Sycamores defend their crown by beating the North Dakota State Bison.

Mountain East – the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets make handy work out of beating the Fairmont State Fighting Falcons (cool helmet, few votes).

Mountain West – This was a good one to watch! The San Diego State Aztecs have a hugely popular helmet but the Wyoming Cowboys have five more votes for the win. Expect the Aztecs to be in the play-in bracket out West.

New England Small College Athletic – The Bates Bobcats announced themselves with strong voting and easily swatted way the Tufts Jumbos.

New Jersey Athletic – Wow. The votes that came in here were astounding. William Paterson Pioneers came into the voting booth and camped out. They defeated two-time Conference Champion New Jersey Lions. Expect the Lions to have another shot at the National Championship bracket.

North Coast Athletic – the Wooster Fighting Scots put forth a winning helmet that could carry them far – if they can bolster the voting block. The Hiram Terriers, with one of the most original helmets, fall.

Northern Sun Intercollegiate – the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons defeat the Upper Iowa Peacocks in a great battle.

Northwest – We still don't get the sailor hat on the cat for the Linfield College Wildcats – someone from this conference champion team explain it for us. They defeat the Willamette Bearcats.

Ohio Athletic – This battle was one to watch for days – it was close. In the end, the Student Princes' of Heidelberg did not have enough to overtake the Mount Union Purple Raiders.

Ohio Valley – The Monopoly man on the lid of the Austin Peay Governors wlll draw attention in the National Championship bracket, but will it draw votes? They beat a fine helmet from the Racers of Murray State.

PAC 12 – The Oregon State Beavers, riding a wave of victory after beating Oregon, dispatch the Colorado Buffaloes by nearly twice as many votes.

Patriot – The Bucknell Bison defeat the Colgate Raiders by FIVE votes to claim the crown.

Pioneer – The Stetson Hatters return to the podium after winning against the Wildcats of Davidson.

Presidents' Athletic – The Waynesburg Yellow Jackets didn't draw very many votes, but still defeated the Carnegie Mellon Tartans.

Pennsylvania State Athletic – We loved this matchup. It seems the helmets for the Gannon Golden Knights and the Seton Hill Griffins were designed in the same room. Gannon wins by FOUR VOTES.

Rocky Mountain Athletic – Watch out. The Colorado School of Mines Orediggers helmet has caught the attention of some of our staffers and now reign over the Fort Lewis Skyhawks and the rest of the conference. Do they have enough to make it into the National bracket and go anywhere?

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic – Great contest! The victorious Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags, with a helmet we have admired for three years, win over strong voting by the Redlands Bulldogs (who will have a chance in the play off round, me thinks).

SEC – What? The heavy favorite Vanderbilt Commodores go down in flames to the Ole Miss Rebels. Wow.

Southern – The Virginia Military Institute Keydets were attempting to return to the podium, but it is not to be. Samford Bulldogs take the winner's circle.

Southland – In strong voting, the Lamar Cardinals once again show strength – this time by defeating the Central Arkansas Bears.

Sun Belt – The San Marcos Bobcats of Texas State take the crown by defeating the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Southwestern Athletic – the Arkansas Pine Bluff Lions once again win – this time over the Southern University and A&M Jaguars.

Independent – Wow, we love this helmet. The Thomas More Saints defeat the Liberty Flames after qualifying for the championship by beating Notre Dame.

Great Plains Athletic – With more than 3-times the votes, the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers win over the Morningside Mustangs.

Northern Athletics Collegiate – the Muskies of Lakeland have gathered some attention and won over the Concordia Wisconsin Falcons, but will have to roll that ball much farther down the field to be competitive in the next round.

Old Dominion – The Southern Virginia Knights beat the Ferrum Panthers. It's as simple as that.

South Atlantic – The Limestone Saints couldn't shake the Newberry Wolves for days, but then pulled away over the weekend to win – again.

Mid-South – The St. Thomas Bobcats defeat a great helmet from the Faulkner Eagles.

Congratulations to all the winners! To the rest of you, if you think you deserve a slot in the play in round, email us at helmetbowl@helmettracker.com and tell us why.

Through three weeks of open polling and then the Championship bracket of the top four teams, the Helmet Bowl III Conference Champions have emerged victorious.

At the beginning of Conference Championship week, there were just six teams with the possibility of 3-peating.

ONLY TWO teams now have won their conference in every Helmet Bowl contest.

The New Jersey Lions fall to the William Paterson Pioneers. The College of Idaho Coyotes fall to the Southern Oregon Raiders. The Finlandia Lions lose to the Hope Flying Dutchmen. The Kennesaw Owls were beaten by the Campbell Fighting Camels.

Three-peat Champions

The Helmet Bowl I National Champion Gallaudet Bison again win the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference – this time turning away a strong push by the Dean Bulldogs.

ONE VOTE! The Ottawa Braves indeed inch past the Sterling Warriors for their 3rd Kansas Collegiate Athletic Championship.