10. House Colors

Okay, I’ll give credit where credit is due. The chalk throw was really good. The cheerleaders’ bows matching their houses was really good. With that said, this is boring and makes the school feel divided rather than united. Poor Taub and Winston wear teal or mustard yellow respectively, and House Colors is in essence a color-out that breaks up the school.

9. Rock & Roll

Rock and Roll walks a very precarious line of almost being a little bit emo. Enough said! 

8. Jungle

Jungle. I am not really sure what to call it other than too broad. You can go the army green route which is basically just camo, you can don your most stunning safari hat or just wear some trusty animal print? And do not get me wrong—I love a good cheetah print moment but that should just be its own theme. Jungle is so all-over-the-place, there is way too much going on.

7. Pirate

While some themes are too simple, pirate begins a run of themes that are too complicated. With that in mind, Pirate is kind of underrated. Every time it is announced, the general consensus is “why are we doing this again?” But then every time, without fail, people pull really cute ensembles together! Coin skirts! Pirate hats! Perhaps a parrot! Pirate is unfortunately just not very intuitive.

6. Red and Black 

Go, Mavs! This theme is definitely easy but it can be as much as you want it to be. We save it for the Kinkaid game for good reason: it is wowing to be in Rice Stadium in a sea of school colors and to wander through the vibrant decked out tailgate, hoping that maybe this year is the year. I just wish there was a little bit more to it—red, black and stars? Like camo, this is so overdone as a free dress theme that I give its boringness very little leniency.

5. Camouflage

Advice for freshmen: buy the camo pants. Do not put it off until you are an upperclassman when you will only wear them for maybe two more games. Camo is classic; the pants are cute or you can always take the army green route. While it is hard to put a unique twist on it, camo is just one of those themes that you cannot skip. It has a very quintessential ‘football game’ vibe in my opinion, but it is tough to give it enough credit since we use it as a free dress theme way too often.

4. Pink Out 

Pink out is just really cute! It is not the most exciting theme on this list, and it does not allow for the most creativity, but being pink is easily accomplished. Most importantly, though, it is for a good cause. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and its recognition by athletes wearing pink in October brings crucial awareness. 

3. Neon

I do not want to say neon is exactly…elegant. But it is streamlined and cohesive, as well as gloriously eye-catching. It is in your face! A stand full of neon is so visually loud that it is intimidating. And most people already own neon clothes—or they can wear white with neon accessories that pop. Neon is overall not hard to pull off and has a great effect.

2. Beach 

Football season goes hand-in-hand with school amping up, and Beach provides a little throwback to the mellow days of summer. It is like Pirate, but a little more chill and a little more cute. Most of us will not need to buy anything new, and there are easy opportunities to accessorize with leis or sunglasses. It’s a universally enjoyable theme, encapsulating that Margaritaville vibe.

1. Western

What could embody the spirit of Friday Night Lights more than cowboy boots on bleachers? This theme lets the Mavs show off their state spirit along with their school spirit, leaning into the culture of a true Texan football game. We can deck ourselves out in closet staples: denim, bandanas, belts and flannels—and still translate the theme well. Yeehaw!