FIU debuted a new tradition in 2023 that fans in the 305 look forward to every year — “Vice Night.”
Once every season, the FIU Panthers exchange their normal navy blue and gold for black, pink, and teal — a palette inspired by the 1980s television series Miami Vice. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the school will host its fourth annual Vice Night in a nationally televised matchup against New Mexico State.
Jusst like for the previous three Vice Nights, the Panthers unveiled a special new alternate uniform featuring
the Miami Vice aesthetic. Fittingly, Friday’s reveal was at 3:05 p.m. ET, representing the city’s iconic area code.
This time, the uniform includes a white helmet with a teal Panther logo, a white-to-pink gradient jersey to mimic a Miami sunset, and all-pink pants featuring another teal Panther head.
This uniform is believed to be the first in FBS history to feature a pink base (Oregon once wore a pink helmet on Oct. 19, 2013). The front of the jersey reads “VICE U” in the same Broadway font with a drop shadow used by the Miami Vice television series. The helmet and shoulders also feature two tri-stripes — one pink-black-pink and another teal-black-teal. The helmet bumper features a “305” with the Panther logo substituting the 0.
FIU will look for its first-ever victory in the brief history of Vice Night. The Panthers lost the 2023, 2024, and 2025 matchups to UTEP, Sam Houston, and Kennesaw State, respectively, and hope for a better performance in the looming 2026 edition against New Mexico State. Expect a lamborghini or a yacht on the sideline, as FIU goes all out with the Miami aesthetic for this matchup every season.
Kickoff at Pitbull Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
