Do Uniforms Matter to Recruits?

[Tracy MidGrady]

No player is picking teams based on uniform, a vast amount of equipment and all the new stuff can be factor but very minute. ESPN even asked kids about and they said it wasn't a big factor.

[1937redskins]

location,exposure and under the table money and perks matter to recruits.

 

unless you get a guy that actually goes to classes

[BBTV]

No top recruit is selecting a team based on uniform.  It's all about chance to win a title, exposure to NFL scouts, how often they'll be on TV, location, how much money the boosters are offering, etc.

 

Now if there's a tie between two schools, sure the uniform plays a factor - it has to, because at that point pretty much everything else is a factor.  For some recruits, the uniform may be the tiebreaker.  I don't think that's odd at all.

 

 

[smzimbabwe]

There are certain teams, if I was a college recruit, I would give their uniform as a reason why I didn't go there, rather than tell the real reason I chose not to go there.

[umlegend1980]

Apparently, a lot of recruits who are interested in Michigan are super excited to see what the Jordan Brand does with their unis. I think it matters.  You likely don't want to go where you hate the colors or uni so it could at least be a negative.  

[WavePunter]

Scholarship dollars, media exposure, NFL potential, and the ability to play immediately are about the only real factors that impact a recruit's decision.. Location (proximity to home, as well as city atmosphere) plays a role at times, and a kid's "dream school" will always have a chance... In my experience, Academics don't really matter, and neither to programs/majors (although they probably matter a bit more than they should - I can elaborate on this topic for anyone interested), and uniforms are probably bring up the rear.. As we recently discussed (in another tread? Previously this thread?), I think schools would be better served by allocating those uniform funds for player gear, or "swag" as they call it.. Track suits, sweats, workout gear, exclusive sneakers, etc are WAY more valuable to a college kid than some jersey he may only ever touch 2 or 3 times in his career.. Penn State issues every student-athlete an iPad their first day on campus.. It's a small perk that contains exponentially more long-term benefits than just giving them iPads.. You can have apps, alerts, films, calendars, playbooks, tutors, etc already set up (which goes a long way in winning over the parents as well).. At the end of the day, it may come down to how much $#!Ť you give them, but uniforms aren't a big part of the "$#!Ť" that actually matters..

[MCM0313]

I think some of the people here are under the impression that "recruits" are only top-level players. I guarantee you that a backup center with no NFL future is typically going to go to class and try to keep his grades up, because he knows that his future employment situation is more dependent on that factor than on his blocking.

[nuordr]

The ONLY possible change that Alabama could make that I would be acceptable with is to add gray pants...that is it. Anything else would be too much. 

[Tracy MidGrady]

4 minutes ago, MCM0313 said:

I think some of the people here are under the impression that "recruits" are only top-level players. I guarantee you that a backup center with no NFL future is typically going to go to class and try to keep his grades up, because he knows that his future employment situation is more dependent on that factor than on his blocking.

Centers and OL are usually the most intelligent people on the team

[NICnoK]

I'm just glad someone is recognizing that Penn State does not, in fact, have god's gift to uniforms. I always see them in "best dressed" lists and to me, their uniforms look generic. Like if someone just asked for the default from their uni supplier. Or the FBS schools in EA's NCAA games. At least Alabama has numbers on helmets and names on jerseys.

[MCM0313]

16 minutes ago, Tracy MidGrady said:

Centers and OL are usually the most intelligent people on the team

I don't doubt that. I was just giving an example.

[guest23]

59 minutes ago, NICnoK said:

I'm just glad someone is recognizing that Penn State does not, in fact, have god's gift to uniforms. I always see them in "best dressed" lists and to me, their uniforms look generic. Like if someone just asked for the default from their uni supplier. Or the FBS schools in EA's NCAA games. At least Alabama has numbers on helmets and names on jerseys.

 

They are god's gift to uniforms in the eyes of middle-aged white men. Something about football the way it should be...

[JayMac]

It's all subjective. Penn State's uniforms are great to traditionalists whereas Oregon's plethora of modern uniforms are for modern enthusiasts. No one uniform set is God's gift to uniforms. 

[hockey week]

9 hours ago, NICnoK said:

I'm just glad someone is recognizing that Penn State does not, in fact, have god's gift to uniforms. I always see them in "best dressed" lists and to me, their uniforms look generic. Like if someone just asked for the default from their uni supplier. Or the FBS schools in EA's NCAA games. At least Alabama has numbers on helmets and names on jerseys.

 

I think it's the fact that Penn State has stayed with the most basic, uncluttered, bland uniforms when it seems like literally everybody else has had a whirlwind of new designs, crazy one-offs, multiple helmets, multiple jerseys, multiple pants, alternates all over the place, specialty designs, new templates, and on and on. Penn State can't even be bothered with a helmet logo or a sleeve stripe. 

 

They are the Pantheon in the modern world. Not all that useful to us and certainly in ruin, but there, and nice. It has its own special beauty through antiquity.

 

And now that there's so much money involved in the NCAA, with Adidas and Under Armor and Nike and so on coming up with new novelty templates and selling thousands of fan jerseys, there's Penn State, where if you wait 4 years, that number will be someone else's and you get to start over with it. Your jersey is literally never out of date. That's something special. It might not be amazing design, it's the opposite of flashy, but always being there, always being the benchmark, is something worthy of praise. 

[Tracy MidGrady]

I agree there's nothing special about Penn State's uniforms, it takes no risks so it can't really be harshly criticized, its the most safe uniform.  

 

Alabama, Auburn, OSU, Michigan, Stanford, USC, are mostly tame uniforms but at least there's some creativity and uniqueness 

[ltjets21]

As a college football player on the division 3 level it is less about the uniforms and more about the gear. Its one thing to look good 12 saturdays a year, but to get nice stuff to wear around campus like shoes and nike jumpsuits is what is attractive. Under Armor and adidas are not known for having as cool of sneakers and cleats as nike.

[WavePunter]

10 hours ago, MCM0313 said:

I think some of the people here are under the impression that "recruits" are only top-level players. I guarantee you that a backup center with no NFL future is typically going to go to class and try to keep his grades up, because he knows that his future employment situation is more dependent on that factor than on his blocking.

Speaking specifically about D1, recruits are the high level players and get full scholarships.. It's my understanding that it's pretty much all-or-nothing with D1 football scholarships (in D2, you can divide them up and give half here, quarter there, etc).. And if they're "recruits" (the ones they're actually worried about attracting, and ACTIVELY RECRUITING), then yes, we're talking about the top level players.. No one's worried about some third string right guard.. He's just a "depth" guy.. But that 5-star left tackle, he's another story.. Also, I don't think anyone here suggested that they should blow off class and let their grades tank.. Anyone with half a peanut in their skull should realize the importance of procuring a degree while you're there.

[hockey week]

31 minutes ago, Tracy MidGrady said:

I agree there's nothing special about Penn State's uniforms, it takes no risks so it can't really be harshly criticized, its the most safe uniform.  

 

Alabama, Auburn, OSU, Michigan, Stanford, USC, are mostly tame uniforms but at least there's some creativity and uniqueness 

 

Oh there's definitely nothing special, but it's been the same thing forever. I think the fact that it's been the same bland basic thing forever is what endears it to so many, not the design itself. I'm sure there are pro teams you could say the same thing for, but in college, it's truly unheard of now. That's what's special, not the uniforms themselves.

[dfwabel]

41 minutes ago, ltjets21 said:

As a college football player on the division 3 level it is less about the uniforms and more about the gear. Its one thing to look good 12 saturdays a year, but to get nice stuff to wear around campus like shoes and nike jumpsuits is what is attractive. Under Armor and adidas are not known for having as cool of sneakers and cleats as nike.

The brand matters more than the uniform.

 

Basketball guys/girls weren't going to Seton Hall when they were with FILA; teams who were with And1 in the early 2000's like Temple didn't get to have any influence either. Marquette was forced to move to Jordan as nobody wanted to really wear Converse in a game.

 

Recruits, especially hoops might be influenced more from the free AAU gear they've received prior.

[Fassy]

23 hours ago, ltjets21 said:

As a college football player on the division 3 level it is less about the uniforms and more about the gear. Its one thing to look good 12 saturdays a year, but to get nice stuff to wear around campus like shoes and nike jumpsuits is what is attractive. Under Armor and adidas are not known for having as cool of sneakers and cleats as nike.

 

I never thought about this before, but it makes perfect sense. As a college recruit, I would certainly love to have all the associated swag to look good on campus. Hats, pull-overs, running pants, gym shorts, etc. I'd probably rather rock the Nike swoosh or UA logo too.