B1G Revisions

[TimEOBrien]

Today, and over the next few days, I'll be bringing you my BigTen concepts for the 2011 football season. If you can't wait, all 12 teams' uniforms (with descriptions) can be found here on my personal site.

Now, unlike my Pac-12 concepts, most of the BigTen's teams have well established uniform tradition that I don't want to mess with. Never the less, I found at least one thing to tweak on almost every uniform. So Let's get right to it:

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Michigan

Michigan State

Minnesota

Nebraska

Northwestern

Ohio State

Penn State

Purdue

Wisconsin

I'm also doing a rivalry/special uni series just for SL.net:

The Bucket Game - IU vs PU

The Land of Lincoln Game - U of I vs NU

The Heroes Game - NU vs UI

Paul Bunyan's Ax Game - UW vs Minn

The Land Grant Game - PSU vs MSU

The Big Game - UM vs OSU

[TimEOBrien]

Illinois: A pretty serious overhaul here. I go back to much more classical striping and a reduction of the Oregon-esque innumerable amount of uni combinations. Orange pants are my go-to road pants but I like the blue pants as a secondary option.

[TBGKon]

I really like your concepts, but whats the point of unveiling every day or so if they're already done and on your site.

Just provide links to all pages and let us discuss.

[wILL-INI]

Illinois' is too 2000. In fact, they are almost exact replica's of our 2005 uni's. I don't agree that Illinois identity should revert back to previous designs, to this degree. I like the consistent striping, a must for our future, but it needs to go farther. The Italic Illinois isn't a great logo, and to have a uni based around it isn't the best solution also. And where are the cream sickle, all ORANGEs!!!

[Spearhead]

If you're doing an Illinois concept, I'd appreciate a different idea for a helmet decal. Illinois' helment logo is so boring and lazy that it screams for something better.

Overall, I'd have to say this concept is pretty pedestrian. Concepts don't have to be wild or mold-breaking, but they should attempt to rise above the current look in some way.

[TimEOBrien]

I really like your concepts, but whats the point of unveiling every day or so if they're already done and on your site.

Just provide links to all pages and let us discuss.

People actually seem to respond better to this since they don't have to leave the site.

Illinois' is too 2000. In fact, they are almost exact replica's of our 2005 uni's. I don't agree that Illinois identity should revert back to previous designs, to this degree. I like the consistent striping, a must for our future, but it needs to go farther. The Italic Illinois isn't a great logo, and to have a uni based around it isn't the best solution also. And where are the cream sickle, all ORANGEs!!!

No all oranges coming from me anytime soon, as far as being a replica of 2005? Not quite, but what's wrong with harkening back to a cleaner/better uniform?

If you're doing an Illinois concept, I'd appreciate a different idea for a helmet decal. Illinois' helment logo is so boring and lazy that it screams for something better.

Overall, I'd have to say this concept is pretty pedestrian. Concepts don't have to be wild or mold-breaking, but they should attempt to rise above the current look in some way.

Personally, I think that this design is lightyears better than the modern uniform the Illini currently wear. It is a bit pedestrian, I'll give you that, but I still believe this is a dramatic improvement.

As for the helmet logo, I actually really love the 'Illinois' spelled out. I hate U of I but I am a huge fan of the state name donning the helmet - I think it's both unique and well designed.

[TheOldRoman]

The Illinois jerseys are great. Those are a throwback to the best set they have ever worn. I would love to see Illinois go to that set. My only issue is with the helmet. The ILLINOIS script sucks for a helmet. A rounded Illini script might be best if you couldn't come up with something better.

[TimEOBrien]

The Illinois jerseys are great. Those are a throwback to the best set they have ever worn. I would love to see Illinois go to that set. My only issue is with the helmet. The ILLINOIS script sucks for a helmet. A rounded Illini script might be best if you couldn't come up with something better.

Like I said, I like it but it sounds like you woulda preferred this:

[TheOldRoman]

The picture isn't showing up, it looks like you can't hotlink it.

[TimEOBrien]

The picture isn't showing up, it looks like you can't hotlink it.

should work now.

[TheOldRoman]

Yeah, that is what I was thinking of. I am not in love with that, but I just can't think of anything better for Illinois' helmet. An I by itself would look bad on the helmet, the current script is bad, and the NCAA took away the one distinctive mark we had which would have worked well on a helmet. To me, the Illini crescent is better than the current script, but I hope someone could come up with something better.

[drdougfresh]

Nothing too exciting here, dude. Traditional, sure. But I found ways to tweak tradition so it was interesting. These just feel too robotically-generated for me. Nothing crazy, nothing fun. Just 'blah'.

[TheOldRoman]

Nothing too exciting here, dude. Traditional, sure. But I found ways to tweak tradition so it was interesting. These just feel too robotically-generated for me. Nothing crazy, nothing fun. Just 'blah'.

I disagree. Looking at your portfolio, I am not a fan of your Illinois concept at all. To me, they aren't interesting.

[TimEOBrien]

Nothing too exciting here, dude. Traditional, sure. But I found ways to tweak tradition so it was interesting. These just feel too robotically-generated for me. Nothing crazy, nothing fun. Just 'blah'.

I've seen you BigTen work and while I appreciate the work and care you put into each design, I wouldn't want to see a single one of those on the field. Now that's not an attack on you, I just grew up in the heart of the BigTen, a BigTen season ticket holder and ended up a BigTen Alumnus. I only came up with designs I would want on the field game in, game out, year in, year out.

But that's just our stylistic preferences. I'm sorry if you see my work as drab (I understand where that comes from, I'm not delusional), but I think my designs are practical and traditional.

[drdougfresh]

Nothing too exciting here, dude. Traditional, sure. But I found ways to tweak tradition so it was interesting. These just feel too robotically-generated for me. Nothing crazy, nothing fun. Just 'blah'.

I disagree. Looking at your portfolio, I am not a fan of your Illinois concept at all. To me, they aren't interesting.

Great, thanks for your input (though I didn't ask for it). But this isn't about my concepts, so let's stay on topic.

I'm talking about the tweaks as a whole, not just Illinois. There's so much history and tradition, but there's also a huge amount of uniqueness in the conference. Almost every team has a nickname that is unique in college athletics-- and that's something to build on. If your approach was to play it safe, then you did okay. But if you wanted to wow people with the ideas, I think you're selling yourself short.

I too grew up in Michigan, so yes, I understand where you're coming from. To each his own-- but these are just reiterations of uniforms that already exist, IMO.

[TheOldRoman]

Great, thanks for your input (though I didn't ask for it). But this isn't about my concepts, so let's stay on topic.

If you didn't want negative feedback on your concepts, you shouldn't have barged in saying "your concepts are boring and mine are great." Just saying.

[andrewharrington]

...but I am a huge fan of the state name donning the helmet - I think it's both unique and well designed.

There's about a thousand colleges and high schools that prove it's not unique, and it only takes one pair of eyes to know that it's not all that well designed.

[drdougfresh]

Great, thanks for your input (though I didn't ask for it). But this isn't about my concepts, so let's stay on topic.

If you didn't want negative feedback on your concepts, you shouldn't have barged in saying "your concepts are boring and mine are great." Just saying.

Yes, that's exactly what I said.

[HawkeyHouse]

I really like the helmet, its (the Illinois Wordmark) my favorite part of the Universities branding. It sticks out, and it should be on the helmet, since its one verything else Illini. I personally would rather see white pants, instead of the blue and orange pants. I like the jerseys. Wouldn't change a thing about them.

[TheOneAndOnlyMau]

Sorry but this concept just seems to be regurgitation of a previous illini design. Theres nothing new here that makes it seem like a new "concept". I dont mean to sound harsh, but there absolutely nothing new and exciting here. I know that you were going for 'what you would like to see on the field year in and year out' but if i were an illinois fan and this was what the school decicded to unveil as their new set i would be extremely disappointed. This set would definitely be a downgrade from what theyre wearing now.

Like i said, i get where youre coming from with the tradition of the set (im a PSU student and lifelong fan) but nothing in this set screams "illinois" like a classic set such as Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State or Nebraska. The uniforms is a physical representation of the schools brand and philosophy. Make the set echo the school, dont just slap an old design on a new template and call it a concept

Definitely keep the illinois script on the helmet though, its a defining element of the illini brand