College Football - 2024

[aawagner011]

USC’s current look is in the upper echelon of college football, but the tweaks in the last decade have eroded what used to be a classic.

 

- Number font is a downgrade. Just look at Lendale White where both digits are fairly unique, but still a classic aesthetic. The new font is fine, but it’s too thick.

 

 

 

- The addition of cardinal colored cuffs on the white jersey is unnecessary visual clutter considering the cuff is located very close to the shoulder stripe. I actually like the contrasting collar, but between that and the sleeve cuffs, it’s a lot of visual contrast that waters down the shoulder stripe’s impact, which should be the focus. I’d keep the collar but drop the contrasting cuffs.

 

 

 

- The new collar detail is so subtle that I question its value. It wouldn’t work in gold, so I say drop it. You can barely see it, anyways.

 

 

As to the throwback, I’d welcome it as a one off, but USC should really be wearing something close to what they’ve got now for eternity.

[sky1324]

12 minutes ago, aawagner011 said:

USC’s current look is in the upper echelon of college football, but the tweaks in the last decade have eroded what used to be a classic.

 

- Number font is a downgrade. Just look at Lendale White where both digits are fairly unique, but still a classic aesthetic. The new font is fine, but it’s too thick.

- The addition of cardinal colored cuffs on the white jersey is unnecessary visual clutter considering the cuff is located very close to the shoulder stripe. I actually like the contrasting collar, but between that and the sleeve cuffs, it’s a lot of visual contrast that waters down the shoulder stripe’s impact, which should be the focus. I’d keep the collar but drop the contrasting cuffs.

- The new collar detail is so subtle that I question its value. It wouldn’t work in gold, so I say drop it. You can barely see it, anyways.

I actually disagree on all counts. I love the custom font, the extra cardinal on the white jersey, and the Trojan pattern on the collar and cuffs adds an extra detail that adds texture to up-close shots. I also love how the shard stripes have shrunk compared to the massive ones on the pre-2016 set.

 

The real tragedy was allowing black socks to be worn  that one time.

I know white socks is the traditional look, but I think cardinal socks would be better. Either way the look should never be touched in a big way again.

[hormone]

With all you going back and forth on USC, I better just keep to myself about preferring the red mask they wore for a while around the Keyshawn Johnson era. Y’all would probably tar and feather me

[crashcarson15]

I think my least favorite thing about USC's current jerseys are the bumper decals on the helmets — the cardinal decals on a white bumper just look so cheap to me.

 

[aawagner011]

46 minutes ago, sky1324 said:

I actually disagree on all counts. I love the custom font, the extra cardinal on the white jersey, and the Trojan pattern on the collar and cuffs adds an extra detail that adds texture to up-close shots. I also love how the shard stripes have shrunk compared to the massive ones on the pre-2016 set.

 

The real tragedy was allowing black socks to be worn  that one time.

I know white socks is the traditional look, but I think cardinal socks would be better. Either way the look should never be touched in a big way again.

Regarding the cardinal cuff on the white jersey, this is my line of thinking: it feels akin to those non-power teams who get teamwear uniforms and don’t know when to stop. This is not a shot at ECU, but they were the first example I could find.

 

 

That sleeve stripe is pretty nice! Classic look. But they throw the contrasting cuff on there and it distracts from what should be the focal point: the stripe. Sometimes you just need to let emphasize certain elements and when to let them breathe. The shoulder stripe’s is a great element! Let it be featured. I already mentioned I’m on board with the contrasting collar, but with the collar, stripe, and cuff, the jersey loses its focal point.

 

Basically what I’m advocating for is USC to look like this:

 

 

I can relate it to my team when Georgia wore the 1980 throwbacks. It’s got a contrasting collar and a nice stripe, similar to USC, just a different application. What purpose would contrasting cuffs serve? It would muddy the design and add more clutter.

 

[Discrim]

On 9/26/2024 at 9:48 AM, PrimalCookie said:

When USF was founded in 1956 it was the southernmost public university in Florida, hence the name*. By the time FAU and FIU came around in 1961 and 1965 it was too late to change it.

 

*But even back then there was a clear definition of South Florida and Tampa wasn't part of it, so I still don't really get it even though that's the explanation. Seems like that would've been a good time to use FGCU, then give USF to FIU and make FGCU Southwest Florida or something.

so Northwestern but further south then

[DCarp1231]

One of my favorite helmets 

[sky1324]

3 hours ago, hormone said:

With all you going back and forth on USC, I better just keep to myself about preferring the red mask they wore for a while around the Keyshawn Johnson era. Y’all would probably tar and feather me

Yes, but because it's cardinal, not red

 

3 hours ago, aawagner011 said:

Basically what I’m advocating for is USC to look like this:

 

 

Actually, that picture of the Texans has changed my mind - I'm with you on dropping the contrasting cuffs. I do think the Georgia example you posted looks significantly worse, though, because the stripes, the busiest part of the jersey, are on the sleeves, right next to the cuff. On USC, everything is spaced out a little better because of the stripe.

[WBeltz]

14 hours ago, DCarp1231 said:

One of my favorite helmets 

Mascot's on Helmets has been in the last few years (See WKU with Big Red), I wish more schools would do stuff like this. I know some Power 4 schools would never, but even if like K-State did one that uses this logo. I think it's just a fun lil switch from the usual suspects that we see:

[DCarp1231]

West Virginia wearing the Coal Rush uniforms this weekend against Iowa State. I’d bet money that Iowa State reveals they’d wear their white out uniforms again.

[tjae]

Speaking of USC's uniforms- found the first documented instance of USC's planned Pro Combat uniforms that were presumably scrapped around 2010ish via eBay listing.  Presuming this was a manufactured prototype...shocking to me because never thought USC had an alternate jersey shelved + did not see any traces of this uniform beforehand.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186690913210?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&srsltid=AfmBOor4uI1OJi1262vdITatdAAcNcvNNJaS-0zEcC7ht-vrxqV5SHg8ZP4

 

Florida's Pro Combat uniforms in 2009 for comparison- same design elements w/ flywire pattern and logo shield.

[aawagner011]

^ very interesting. I wonder why USC didn’t go through with it. We saw some very traditional schools with Pro Combats that deviated very little from their standard set (Bama, Texas) and this appears to be the case here.

 

The shoulder stripe pattern looks similar to what Virginia Tech ended up with.

 

[YelichGraphics]

9 hours ago, aawagner011 said:

^ very interesting. I wonder why USC didn’t go through with it. We saw some very traditional schools with Pro Combats that deviated very little from their standard set (Bama, Texas) and this appears to be the case here.

 

The shoulder stripe pattern looks similar to what Virginia Tech ended up with.

 

And now every high school team and DIII team forever uses that stripe style

[WBeltz]

20 hours ago, DCarp1231 said:

West Virginia wearing the Coal Rush uniforms this weekend against Iowa State. I’d bet money that Iowa State reveals they’d wear their white out uniforms again.

If Iowa State wears the white/black uniforms again but on the road I might just go fight Matt Campbell.

[SSmith48]

21 hours ago, DCarp1231 said:

West Virginia wearing the Coal Rush uniforms this weekend against Iowa State. I’d bet money that Iowa State reveals they’d wear their white out uniforms again.

I see it this way... West Virginia has a basis to wear a special black uniform because it ties into state history/culture. There is a distinct, meaningful reason for using the color. Iowa State, on the other hand, at least as far as I can tell, wears black/white because it "looks cool". There's a difference.

[Lights Out]

On 10/7/2024 at 4:42 PM, aawagner011 said:

The new font is fine, but it’s too thick.

 

I would argue that the thickness isn't a problem there because the numbers are single-layer. It only becomes an issue in applications where the numbers are outlined, like their white basketball and baseball jerseys. Even there it doesn't look that bad, but a slightly thinner variant would be better.

[Webfooter]

As expected, Oregon is going with all black Fly Era uniforms against Ohio State.

 

 

[oldschoolvikings]

5 minutes ago, Webfooter said:

As expected, Oregon is going with all black Fly Era uniforms against Ohio State.

 

 

 

A shame. Bright red vs bright green is always nice. But an unsurprising bad decision.

[Squeezee12]

6 hours ago, Webfooter said:

As expected, Oregon is going with all black Fly Era uniforms against Ohio State.

 

 

Gonna be at the game.. even though I was expecting this… I was hoping for the the green unis and O helmet that they’ve worn this season… oh well.

[tBBP]

On 10/9/2024 at 8:48 AM, SSmith48 said:

I see it this way... West Virginia has a basis to wear a special black uniform because it ties into state history/culture. There is a distinct, meaningful reason for using the color. Iowa State, on the other hand, at least as far as I can tell, wears black/white because it "looks cool". There's a difference.

 

West Virginia has no more of a reason to wear black than Iowa State does...not even with coal being black. It's all just chasing trends, and has been ever since Nike started finding any reason/connection they could find to justify outfitting their teams in black (and/or anthracite) alternates. This goes all the way back to the first Florida State Unconquered black alternates way back in the early 2000s...which Bobby Bowden disclosed years after the fact that Nike just wanted FSU to have a black uniform.

 

Now, with all that said, in a vacuum, those WV alts do look nice, I'll acknowledge that. That silvet really does add a lot to the look and for that fact alone I'm glad they included it. But let's not pretend that the use of black is "justified"...it ain't, it's flavor of the moment like many other trends tend to be, especially these days.