Could Puppy Bowl 16 be getting new team colors?

The countdown to Puppy Bowl 16 has begun – let the speculation commence!

Puppy Bowl 16 (technically Puppy Bowl XVI, if you’re being fancy) will film soonish, since it usually films sometime in early to mid-October before airing on Super Bowl Sunday.

It’s one of Animal Planet‘s biggest annual events, for good reason – it’s pawesome, and tons of people watch, which means lots of sponsors want to take part, which is good for everyone.

(For more on the game’s history, see here.)

Since at least Puppy Bowl IX, well before the game adopted a team format with Puppy Bowl XI, the logo has been a standardized design of a traditional brown football with yellow and green accents. Accordingly, Team Ruff and Team Fluff players have worn yellow and green bandannas for their uniforms (the Fluffers wear yellow, while the Ruffers wear green).

This year, however, brings a totally redesigned new logo for the game.

As the Facebook page for the Puppy Bowl displays, the new logo for Puppy Bowl XVI is primarily royal blue and orange, with white lettering and extensive drop shadowing also done in royal blue and orange.

This seems like an indication that the teams will be getting new colors as well.

Probably the new bandannas for one team will be royal blue with white lettering and orange drop shadowing, while the other team will have orange bandannas with white letting and royal blue drop shadowing. A white background with orange lettering and blue drop shadows could also look nice.

This is a very solid color combo; some of the college and professional sports teams that use it include the Boise State Broncos, Florida Gators, Edmonton Oilers and the 1990s throwbacks of the Tulsa Oilers (the St Louis Blues‘ Double-A affiliate in the ECHL).

Of course, this could simply be another way to improve off what the NFL has abandoned in crafting a one-of-a-kind logo for each game, as was the case from Super Bowl I until Super Bowl XLV.

The really elaborate designs came into play with Super Bowl XIX, and have since been shelved, only to be replaced by a very boring generic logo in the years since, as the Washington Post dives into.

Filming for Puppy Bowl 16 will take place in early to mid October, while the game itself will air on Animal Planet on Sunday, February 2.