Under Armour adding a B1G school

[BRice16]

I hope it's not the Badgers. I love their simple, clean, uniforms. The only thing that bothers me is the helmet stripes and W are a much darker red than their jerseys and pants. Have the red from the jersey used on the helmet and we have a winner.

Anything is better than the techfit jerseys.

Wisconsin doesn't wear the Techfits. Never have. They wear a traditional cut from Ripon, the same as the Tennessee road jerseys.

[guest23]

I don't know how it works but somehow UA has some kind of deal to be a "secondary" provider. I have an IU Under Armour shirt from around 4 years ago. And there are plenty of Under Armour items at the IU bookstore and TIS bookstore.

most of the supplier contracts only cover specific types of apparel and are typically licensed through the athletic department or only cover athletics...while indiana athletics are sponsored by adidas I'm sure you can go to the bookstore and buy a ton of non adidas "indiana university" licensed sportswear made by ua, russell, champion, hanes, etc.

there was a big deal about this with jerry jones silver star apparel going after the non athletic department sportswear licenses of usc and tosu...if you read up on that you'll have a pretty good idea how these deals work.

[MJWalker45]

I don't know how it works but somehow UA has some kind of deal to be a "secondary" provider. I have an IU Under Armour shirt from around 4 years ago. And there are plenty of Under Armour items at the IU bookstore and TIS bookstore.

They all (Nike,adidas, UA and Russell) can make items with the team on it. They just can't make on field jerseys and uniforms. Ohio State sells items by Holloway, Champion and Nike as well as others on their main web sites.

[Kevin W.]

I think Champion makes championship merchandise for every school, regardless of who their uniform manufacturer is.

[Max Power]

About a month ago there was a rumor on the Northwestern board that we were going to switch Under Armour. There hasn't been anything about that posted since then though. For years people had been saying NU didn't get much attention from adidas, but that seems to have changed recently; there's been new uniforms in football and basketball, an alternate football uniform, new warm-ups, and more merchandise designs.

As an NU fan I am not at all excited about the idea of going to UA. Their uniforms are terrible.

[thespleenenator]

Just like to take the time to note that this thread was featured on uniwatch today

No back to you day to day activities.

[spottedbadger]

Funny thing is, there's probably students there who are going "ditch Adidas for human rights issues" that own a counterfeit Rodgers jersey with the numbers falling off and a throwback baby blue Rickie Weeks uniform.

Could be. But Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are also numbers 1 and 2 respectively in terms of jerseys sold. And I'm not sure a student in a group that has been so vigilant over this issue for many years would say "ahh it, it's a few dollars cheaper" for a knock off.

Also, I don't really understand the notion that UW needs to change up their uniforms because they look like Nebraska. They've worn red jerseys with white two-striped pants and white helmets pretty much since the advent of the plastic helmet.

Why would they want to change that?

Wisconsin has worn similar uniforms for a long time, but they've worn carbon copy uniforms since the mid-90s. Incidentally, this is around the same time that Barry Alvarez became coach of the Badgers - the same Alvarez who played college ball at... you guessed it, Nebraska. Alvarez played under Bob Devaney and used the Nebraska football program as a model when he took over the Wisconsin reigns.

Skip ahead to the 0:52 mark for Alvarez...

Yes, I'm well aware that Barry Alvarez went to Nebraska and has said he modeled the UW program after Nebraska. However, that philosophy is rooted in recruiting big Wisconsin kids to anchor the offensive line and be the focal point of the offense, not putting stripes on the sleeves of the jerseys. The stripes came before Barry for what it's worth, as seen on Al Toon in the early 80s. If anything, BA pushed to differentiate the two by coming up with the motion W.

[andrewharrington]

I hope it's not the Badgers. I love their simple, clean, uniforms. The only thing that bothers me is the helmet stripes and W are a much darker red than their jerseys and pants. Have the red from the jersey used on the helmet and we have a winner.

Anything is better than the techfit jerseys.

...which Wisconsin doesn't wear.

[andrewharrington]

Funny thing is, there's probably students there who are going "ditch Adidas for human rights issues" that own a counterfeit Rodgers jersey with the numbers falling off and a throwback baby blue Rickie Weeks uniform.

Could be. But Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are also numbers 1 and 2 respectively in terms of jerseys sold. And I'm not sure a student in a group that has been so vigilant over this issue for many years would say "ahh it, it's a few dollars cheaper" for a knock off.

Also, I don't really understand the notion that UW needs to change up their uniforms because they look like Nebraska. They've worn red jerseys with white two-striped pants and white helmets pretty much since the advent of the plastic helmet.

Why would they want to change that?

Wisconsin has worn similar uniforms for a long time, but they've worn carbon copy uniforms since the mid-90s. Incidentally, this is around the same time that Barry Alvarez became coach of the Badgers - the same Alvarez who played college ball at... you guessed it, Nebraska. Alvarez played under Bob Devaney and used the Nebraska football program as a model when he took over the Wisconsin reigns.

Skip ahead to the 0:52 mark for Alvarez...

Yes, I'm well aware that Barry Alvarez went to Nebraska and has said he modeled the UW program after Nebraska. However, that philosophy is rooted in recruiting big Wisconsin kids to anchor the offensive line and be the focal point of the offense, not putting stripes on the sleeves of the jerseys. The stripes came before Barry for what it's worth, as seen on Al Toon in the early 80s. If anything, BA pushed to differentiate the two by coming up with the motion W.

...which was unfortunate, because this look right here was their best. Better logo, and the helmet red matches the jersey.

[wyopokes2]

Just like to take the time to note that this thread was featured on uniwatch today

No back to you day to day activities.

Oh dear god. Hide the children from all this "rampant" speculation!!

[thespleenenator]

Funny thing is, there's probably students there who are going "ditch Adidas for human rights issues" that own a counterfeit Rodgers jersey with the numbers falling off and a throwback baby blue Rickie Weeks uniform.

Could be. But Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are also numbers 1 and 2 respectively in terms of jerseys sold. And I'm not sure a student in a group that has been so vigilant over this issue for many years would say "ahh it, it's a few dollars cheaper" for a knock off.

Also, I don't really understand the notion that UW needs to change up their uniforms because they look like Nebraska. They've worn red jerseys with white two-striped pants and white helmets pretty much since the advent of the plastic helmet.

Why would they want to change that?

Wisconsin has worn similar uniforms for a long time, but they've worn carbon copy uniforms since the mid-90s. Incidentally, this is around the same time that Barry Alvarez became coach of the Badgers - the same Alvarez who played college ball at... you guessed it, Nebraska. Alvarez played under Bob Devaney and used the Nebraska football program as a model when he took over the Wisconsin reigns.

Skip ahead to the 0:52 mark for Alvarez...

Yes, I'm well aware that Barry Alvarez went to Nebraska and has said he modeled the UW program after Nebraska. However, that philosophy is rooted in recruiting big Wisconsin kids to anchor the offensive line and be the focal point of the offense, not putting stripes on the sleeves of the jerseys. The stripes came before Barry for what it's worth, as seen on Al Toon in the early 80s. If anything, BA pushed to differentiate the two by coming up with the motion W.

...which was unfortunate, because this look right here was their best. Better logo, and the helmet red matches the jersey.

While I do agree about the red matching the jersey, I STRONGLY disagree that this was their best look. It's so generic it's not even funny. That could Wisconsin, or it could be some random high school team. Nothing is identafiable as Wisconsin. The motion W is very iconic, and miles better than a generic W.

[andrewharrington]

Funny thing is, there's probably students there who are going "ditch Adidas for human rights issues" that own a counterfeit Rodgers jersey with the numbers falling off and a throwback baby blue Rickie Weeks uniform.

Could be. But Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are also numbers 1 and 2 respectively in terms of jerseys sold. And I'm not sure a student in a group that has been so vigilant over this issue for many years would say "ahh it, it's a few dollars cheaper" for a knock off.

Also, I don't really understand the notion that UW needs to change up their uniforms because they look like Nebraska. They've worn red jerseys with white two-striped pants and white helmets pretty much since the advent of the plastic helmet.

Why would they want to change that?

Wisconsin has worn similar uniforms for a long time, but they've worn carbon copy uniforms since the mid-90s. Incidentally, this is around the same time that Barry Alvarez became coach of the Badgers - the same Alvarez who played college ball at... you guessed it, Nebraska. Alvarez played under Bob Devaney and used the Nebraska football program as a model when he took over the Wisconsin reigns.

Skip ahead to the 0:52 mark for Alvarez...

Yes, I'm well aware that Barry Alvarez went to Nebraska and has said he modeled the UW program after Nebraska. However, that philosophy is rooted in recruiting big Wisconsin kids to anchor the offensive line and be the focal point of the offense, not putting stripes on the sleeves of the jerseys. The stripes came before Barry for what it's worth, as seen on Al Toon in the early 80s. If anything, BA pushed to differentiate the two by coming up with the motion W.

...which was unfortunate, because this look right here was their best. Better logo, and the helmet red matches the jersey.

While I do agree about the red matching the jersey, I STRONGLY disagree that this was their best look. It's so generic it's not even funny. That could Wisconsin, or it could be some random high school team. Nothing is identafiable as Wisconsin. The motion W is very iconic, and miles better than a generic W.

I could deal with the Motion W if it didn't have that black drop shadow. It makes it look really muddy. Other than that, Wisconsin's look is generic, it always has been, and I think the plain block W fits that identity better than the snazzy Motion W. Their generic look is their identity, though I think they should go back to the darker red color. I think the uniform should match the helmet.

[thespleenenator]

Funny thing is, there's probably students there who are going "ditch Adidas for human rights issues" that own a counterfeit Rodgers jersey with the numbers falling off and a throwback baby blue Rickie Weeks uniform.

Could be. But Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are also numbers 1 and 2 respectively in terms of jerseys sold. And I'm not sure a student in a group that has been so vigilant over this issue for many years would say "ahh it, it's a few dollars cheaper" for a knock off.

Also, I don't really understand the notion that UW needs to change up their uniforms because they look like Nebraska. They've worn red jerseys with white two-striped pants and white helmets pretty much since the advent of the plastic helmet.

Why would they want to change that?

Wisconsin has worn similar uniforms for a long time, but they've worn carbon copy uniforms since the mid-90s. Incidentally, this is around the same time that Barry Alvarez became coach of the Badgers - the same Alvarez who played college ball at... you guessed it, Nebraska. Alvarez played under Bob Devaney and used the Nebraska football program as a model when he took over the Wisconsin reigns.

Skip ahead to the 0:52 mark for Alvarez...

Yes, I'm well aware that Barry Alvarez went to Nebraska and has said he modeled the UW program after Nebraska. However, that philosophy is rooted in recruiting big Wisconsin kids to anchor the offensive line and be the focal point of the offense, not putting stripes on the sleeves of the jerseys. The stripes came before Barry for what it's worth, as seen on Al Toon in the early 80s. If anything, BA pushed to differentiate the two by coming up with the motion W.

...which was unfortunate, because this look right here was their best. Better logo, and the helmet red matches the jersey.

While I do agree about the red matching the jersey, I STRONGLY disagree that this was their best look. It's so generic it's not even funny. That could Wisconsin, or it could be some random high school team. Nothing is identafiable as Wisconsin. The motion W is very iconic, and miles better than a generic W.

I could deal with the Motion W if it didn't have that black drop shadow. It makes it look really muddy. Other than that, Wisconsin's look is generic, it always has been, and I think the plain block W fits that identity better than the snazzy Motion W. Their generic look is their identity, though I think they should go back to the darker red color. I think the uniform should match the helmet.

Then that's not much of an identity. I think a good uniform is where you can remove all of the colors, and still be able to tell who's it is. And before you say "But what about Alabama, and Penn State?" I don't like Alabama's uniforms, but Penn State's is so generic, that you could remove the all of the colors, and you would be able to tell that it's Penn State.

[infrared41]

Some schools take more money but give up some of the design process. That's not just UA, that's all brands. Auburn was very concerned about keeping their football look and wrote into their deal that the school had final approval on all designs.

That is just mind-boggling to me. Why on Earth would anyone let someone dictate something as important as their sports branding? I know virtually nothing about how this stuff works, but it seems to me that the school is the customer and the company is the supplier. Is it just me, or is there something totally ass-backwards about letting Nike, Adidas, UA, etc., the supplier, tell the customer, what their team is going to wear? I just don't get it but as I said, I know very little about how it works. It just seems...I don't know...illogical or something.

I get that it's an endorsement deal etc. But still, if Nike wants to pay Ohio State to say "hey, the Buckeyes wear Nike" then shouldn't Ohio State get to call the shots on what they look like when wearing Nike products? It doesn't do Nike a bit of good to dress one of their schools in clown suits. It seems to me that all it does is hurt both brands.

[bucskick20]

It won't be Minnesota, they are poised to release the uniforms and a pro combat is coming.

[thespleenenator]

It won't be Minnesota, they are poised to release the uniforms and a pro combat is coming.

I thought you had to be good to get a pro combat?

[fuzzy510]

It won't be Minnesota, they are poised to release the uniforms and a pro combat is coming.

I thought you had to be good to get a pro combat?

Or Army.

[andrewharrington]

Some schools take more money but give up some of the design process. That's not just UA, that's all brands. Auburn was very concerned about keeping their football look and wrote into their deal that the school had final approval on all designs.

That is just mind-boggling to me. Why on Earth would anyone let someone dictate something as important as their sports branding? I know virtually nothing about how this stuff works, but it seems to me that the school is the customer and the company is the supplier. Is it just me, or is there something totally ass-backwards about letting Nike, Adidas, UA, etc., the supplier, tell the customer, what their team is going to wear? I just don't get it but as I said, I know very little about how it works. It just seems...I don't know...illogical or something.

I get that it's an endorsement deal etc. But still, if Nike wants to pay Ohio State to say "hey, the Buckeyes wear Nike" then shouldn't Ohio State get to call the shots on what they look like when wearing Nike products? It doesn't do Nike a bit of good to dress one of their schools in clown suits. It seems to me that all it does is hurt both brands.

Well, the school is the customer in that the sportswear companies are supplying goods to them, but normally the customer would be paying the supplier for those goods. These licensing/outfitting deals actually do work backwards because the supplier is paying the customer, not only with free gear, but monetarily as well, due to the increased sales and exposure that come from being the official licensee/outfitter of whichever team or school. The idea is that because of the deal, the supplier has the opportunity to turn a profit by using the team's or school's equity to help sell their products, which is why the customers get the money, and as a result, the suppliers feel like they should have a little bit of say given how much money they're shelling out to the team or school.

[andrewharrington]

Then that's not much of an identity. I think a good uniform is where you can remove all of the colors, and still be able to tell who's it is. And before you say "But what about Alabama, and Penn State?" I don't like Alabama's uniforms, but Penn State's is so generic, that you could remove the all of the colors, and you would be able to tell that it's Penn State.

In a vacuum, no, that's not a very good identity, but we're not in a vacuum. Wisconsin has built a lot of equity in the generic look of their uniform, much like Nebraska or Penn State have. What Wisconsin should do is go back to the W on the front of the helmet, to add that unique dash of character back into their identity.

[guest23]

Some schools take more money but give up some of the design process. That's not just UA, that's all brands. Auburn was very concerned about keeping their football look and wrote into their deal that the school had final approval on all designs.

That is just mind-boggling to me. Why on Earth would anyone let someone dictate something as important as their sports branding? I know virtually nothing about how this stuff works, but it seems to me that the school is the customer and the company is the supplier. Is it just me, or is there something totally ass-backwards about letting Nike, Adidas, UA, etc., the supplier, tell the customer, what their team is going to wear? I just don't get it but as I said, I know very little about how it works. It just seems...I don't know...illogical or something.

I get that it's an endorsement deal etc. But still, if Nike wants to pay Ohio State to say "hey, the Buckeyes wear Nike" then shouldn't Ohio State get to call the shots on what they look like when wearing Nike products? It doesn't do Nike a bit of good to dress one of their schools in clown suits. It seems to me that all it does is hurt both brands.

Not all schools are created equal in terms of branding. There are only a handful of tosu's, michigans, usc's, bama's etc...that really have a time tested brand and a built in consumer base that can generate tens of millions $ annually without the help of a designer...in many recent cases the uniforming manufacturers have also lent their hands as brand consultants and designers in hopes that it will actually generate more topline revenue for both the school and the supplier.