Why doesn't every pro sports team have a ton of alternates?

[Phils Phan]

I HATE the idea of such, but honestly more uniforms mean more sales, so why don't pro teams have as many unis as possible?

[RayFinkle]

Like the Filthies??

They should have some type of maroon alternate. Sick of those red pin striped uni's they've been wearing since, what, 1992??

[mad43dog]

I hate alternates. Have three uniforms max.

[Phils Phan]

I hate alternates. Have three uniforms max.

Me too but money talks.

[Kevin W.]

Because unlike Oregon, pro teams tend to care about tradition which makes them money just fine.

[Critical Thinker]

I HATE the idea of such, but honestly more uniforms mean more sales, so why don't pro teams have as many unis as possible?

Well, in that case, MLB teams should have 162 unis. The Tigers should have about 180 when you factor in October.

[YelichGraphics]

I HATE the idea of such, but honestly more uniforms mean more sales, so why don't pro teams have as many unis as possible?

Well, in that case, MLB teams should have 162 unis. The Tigers should have about 180 when you factor in October.

and to get money you have to spend money, to make the jeseys, and for college there is A LOTof teams and players

[hockey week]

8 posts in and nobody has actually given an answer.

It's brand recognition, that's why pro teams don't have tons and tons of alternate uniforms.

They need people to tune in and know who they're watching instantly. They want any glimpse of that team being obvious as to who it is. If they get a photo in a newspaper, they want everyone to be able to identify what team that is. That goes for their merchandise as well.

If they have bunches of different looks, that recognition is lessened. Take the Eagles 1933 throwbacks, the yellow and baby blue ones. I wear one of those around town, nobody knows who it is, because it looks nothing like the Eagles (most common guess is a Chargers jersey, in case anybody was wondering). That hurts the Eagles' brand. They have a piece of merchandise that nobody recognizes so, 1) fewer people buy it, 2) when those people use it, they don't get the additional word-of-mouth advertising from having it seen in public.

So why have any alternates if it's all about brand? As others have said, money talks. If they can get a bunch of extra money for sacrificing a few games of brand recognition, they'll do it. Ever wonder why those times-you-can-wear-an-alternates are so controlled? to keep the brand recognizable. It's why the NFL only allows 2 games in an alt, why the NHL only allows 15 games in an alt. Most of those games happen at home, where the brand is already well-recognized, so it is impacted less.

Why can colleges get away with it? They do it to attract recruits, keep them interested and show off their budgets, but aren't they worried about brand? Not as much. Their fanbases are typically alumni and their families, who recognize the brand regardless of what the teams look like. And they have numerous teams in numerous sports, so the brand is already kinda diluted. With the exception of the biggest schools, they're not going to get much brand recognition from sports uniforms and logos (they get it from being a quality school), so they recruit with many alts, because a winning team (full of good recruits) does way more for admissions than a uniform.

[cappital92]

Fashion jerseys are far more prevalent in pro sports. If you want a black Seahawks jersey for example, they already make them. Seattle doesn't need to mess up their look by adding a black jersey to wear on field.

[Dynasty]

I actually prefer seeing teams were throwback uniforms rather than alternate uniforms.

[TheRicSlick]

I actually prefer seeing teams were throwback uniforms rather than alternate uniforms.

Aren't throwbacks considered alternates?

[MEANS]

8 posts in and nobody has actually given an answer.

It's brand recognition, that's why pro teams don't have tons and tons of alternate uniforms.

They need people to tune in and know who they're watching instantly. They want any glimpse of that team being obvious as to who it is. If they get a photo in a newspaper, they want everyone to be able to identify what team that is. That goes for their merchandise as well.

If they have bunches of different looks, that recognition is lessened. Take the Eagles 1933 throwbacks, the yellow and baby blue ones. I wear one of those around town, nobody knows who it is, because it looks nothing like the Eagles (most common guess is a Chargers jersey, in case anybody was wondering). That hurts the Eagles' brand. They have a piece of merchandise that nobody recognizes so, 1) fewer people buy it, 2) when those people use it, they don't get the additional word-of-mouth advertising from having it seen in public.

So why have any alternates if it's all about brand? As others have said, money talks. If they can get a bunch of extra money for sacrificing a few games of brand recognition, they'll do it. Ever wonder why those times-you-can-wear-an-alternates are so controlled? to keep the brand recognizable. It's why the NFL only allows 2 games in an alt, why the NHL only allows 15 games in an alt. Most of those games happen at home, where the brand is already well-recognized, so it is impacted less.

Why can colleges get away with it? They do it to attract recruits, keep them interested and show off their budgets, but aren't they worried about brand? Not as much. Their fanbases are typically alumni and their families, who recognize the brand regardless of what the teams look like. And they have numerous teams in numerous sports, so the brand is already kinda diluted. With the exception of the biggest schools, they're not going to get much brand recognition from sports uniforms and logos (they get it from being a quality school), so they recruit with many alts, because a winning team (full of good recruits) does way more for admissions than a uniform.

/end thread, perfectly stated.

[AgentColon]

[Digby]

I once read an interview with a New York Red Bulls rep who implied that the MLS is actually discouraging third jerseys going forward -- presumably because the money to be made there doesn't outweigh the need for more widespread brand recognition, at least for a nascent league like MLS.

[Norva]

I think if you kept adding on alternates you'd eventually stumble onto the Law of Diminishing Returns.

An alternate can boosts sales and the brand, but there is a limit until you basically have either no recognizable brand or so many alternates to buy that you don't make as much off any one as the sales are so spread out over the bunch.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

I don't think teams need a 100,000 alternates but if say Madden or NHL wants to load up the game with tons of alternates and throwbacks. That works for me. YOu can have your throwback fix with out forcing the actual teams to change uniforms. With the advancements in console gaming there should be no reason you couldn't put every major throw back including alternates in those games.

[Gothamite]

I once read an interview with a New York Red Bulls rep who implied that the MLS is actually discouraging third jerseys going forward -- presumably because the money to be made there doesn't outweigh the need for more widespread brand recognition, at least for a nascent league like MLS.

That would be refreshing. I certainly hope it's true.

[Shadojoker]

Pretty much sums it up. .

[guest23]

I think if you kept adding on alternates you'd eventually stumble onto the Law of Diminishing Returns.

An alternate can boosts sales and the brand, but there is a limit until you basically have either no recognizable brand or so many alternates to buy that you don't make as much off any one as the sales are so spread out over the bunch.

Bingo. Law of diminishing returns. Brand saturation. And target consumer disposable income. The key is to find that sweet spot which top tier soccer seems to think that enough core consumers are willing to buy a new primary shirt annually at $90 a pop.

[Digby]

I once read an interview with a New York Red Bulls rep who implied that the MLS is actually discouraging third jerseys going forward -- presumably because the money to be made there doesn't outweigh the need for more widespread brand recognition, at least for a nascent league like MLS.

That would be refreshing. I certainly hope it's true.

Thirds do seem needed in MLS, at least for clubs like Kansas City or Portland who seem to miss the point entirely. But perhaps the league can compel them to look up the meaning of "clash".

Found the interview in question, BTW. Also worth noting that this is the only thing I've ever read suggesting this anti-third-kit policy, so who knows. http://www.empireofsoccer.com/grandpre-honoring-metrostars-28124/