If space is indeed the final frontier, the battle over who can claim what has already begun in cyberspace.

It all started with Purdue football's announcement that the Boilermakers would play Saturday's game against Maryland in all-white uniforms that mimic astronaut suits. The team will also wear a white helmet featuring a decal with moon craters inside the Purdue "P" logo.

The Boilermakers will wear the uniforms during their Homecoming game in honor of the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong, a Purdue alumnus, landing on the moon. Numbers on a helmet strip pay homage to the two graduates who have walked on the moon, the 25 graduates who became astronauts and the 64 space missions flown by Boilermakers.

Here's how the school promoted the look:

Since the video was released, several University of Central Florida fans have cried foul, saying the design was a copycat. In 2017, UCF created helmets that featured moon-crater lettering and a stripe that featured a NASA Hubble telescope image of the Andromeda galaxy and other constellations.

Here's how that program promoted their uniform that year:

UCF used the attire again in 2018 in a game now referred to as the "Space Game." This year's game takes place on Nov. 2 against Houston.

Here's how fans have pointed to the similarities between the two helmets and how Boilermaker faithful are pushing back:

Why UCF and Purdue fans are passionate about space claims

So why all the fuss? Both sides have a connection to the nation's legacy of space exploration. UCF, based in Orlando, was founded in 1963 to funnel talent to the NASA's growing program at nearby Cape Canaveral. Three astronauts have graduated from the university.

Purdue has seen 25 astronauts graduate from the university and has referred to the West Lafayette camas the "Cradle of Astronauts." Almost a third of U.S. spaceflights have included a Purdue graduate.

While the debate on social media seems endless, some have called for a future "Space game" between the two programs. By the time athletic directors are able to pencil in the date, maybe technology will evolve to actually play the game in the most fitting venue: the moon.

We can dream, can't we?

Nate Chute is a producer with the USA Today Network. Follow him on Twitter at @nchute.