2011-2012 NCAA Football Uniform Thread

[MattMilone]

I actually like them. I don't know if they're better than the contrasting collars but I like the intent. If you're going to be the "really plain traditional jersey" team (which they can be, they never deviated and have enough history for it to not feel silly) then go all in. Blue top, white bottom. Can't get anymore "plain jersey" team than that.

Granted, it feels very hokey (a slowly paced youtube video of the "unveiling," really?) but in the long run (especially with jerseys slowly becoming smaller and tighter, collars becoming more ignored and obsolete) it's probably the right move for Penn State.

[TheOldRoman]

I thought it had been covered before that Penn State's trim was not a design decision but a functionality one.

They always wanted to have trim the same color as the jerseys, but the technology hadn't advanced to make it acceptable or comfortable to them until now.

Show your work. There is no way the manufacturers weren't able to put navy cuffs on navy jerseys and have them be comfortable until now. Most teams use the same colored collar and jersey.

[gdu]

I thought it had been covered before that Penn State's trim was not a design decision but a functionality one.

They always wanted to have trim the same color as the jerseys, but the technology hadn't advanced to make it acceptable or comfortable to them until now.

Show your work. There is no way the manufacturers weren't able to put navy cuffs on navy jerseys and have them be comfortable until now. Most teams use the same colored collar and jersey.

Look at the older videos on that page. UniWatch had linked it at one point, but one video featured the Equipment Manager. He said something to the effect of: we never wanted contrast collars/cuffs but most companies couldn't get the colors to match (and stay matching throught the season). Nike came to them and said they could if the school still wanted that look, so they went for it. It wasn't a comfort issue; it was a color matching issue.

[TheOldRoman]

I thought it had been covered before that Penn State's trim was not a design decision but a functionality one.

They always wanted to have trim the same color as the jerseys, but the technology hadn't advanced to make it acceptable or comfortable to them until now.

Show your work. There is no way the manufacturers weren't able to put navy cuffs on navy jerseys and have them be comfortable until now. Most teams use the same colored collar and jersey.

Look at the older videos on that page. UniWatch had linked it at one point, but one video featured the Equipment Manager. He said something to the effect of: we never wanted contrast collars/cuffs but most companies couldn't get the colors to match (and stay matching throught the season). Nike came to them and said they could if the school still wanted that look, so they went for it. It wasn't a comfort issue; it was a color matching issue.

Okay, thanks. I will try to find the video when I get home tonight. Still, it amazes me that it was an issue with Penn State considering most other teams have collars and possibly cuffs matching the jersey color. For instance, the Chicago Bears wear a darker navy, but their jerseys have featured an elastic collar for about 20 years, always navy on the home jersey. I haven't noticed players having discolored collars towards the end of the season.

[walkerws]

No, their mascot is a kangaroo. Try again.

They're called the Zips, after the zipper manufacturing companies in Akron. Their actually mascot is a zipper, but their little man who walks around in a furry costume is a kangaroo, and nobody really knows why.

The evolution of Zippy, The University of Akron?s mascot, began 54 years ago when the student council, under president Dave Frye and committee for a mascot chairman Bob Savoy (an All-American diver for UA), decided the University needed a mascot.?Zippy? the kangaroo was officially declared UA?s mascot on May 1, 1953.The selection of the kangaroo for a mascot brought forth the wrath of The Buchtelite and the Akron Beacon Journal as the name was chosen without the benefit of a campus-wide vote. There was support for the new mascot with defenders saying, ?the kangaroo is fast, agile, and powerful with undying determination ? all the necessary qualities of an athlete.?It is difficult to imagine there was dissent back then seeing as how Zippy is one of, if not the, most beloved symbols of the University. In fact, during an 11 weeklong national contest, Zippy defeated all challengers. Zippy, after a first-round bye in the playoffs, cruised to victories over Syracuse?s Otto in the semifinals and Minnesota?s Goldy Gopher in the final to become the 2007 Capital One Mascot of the Year.Dick Hansford, UA student council advisor, liked the kangaroo ? one of the finalist names, when Akron chose ?Zippers? as its nickname. He recalled the suggestion was also inspired by a popular comic strip at the time called ?Kicky, the fighting kangaroo.?No one recalls who made the arrangements for the first costume, but a paper-mache head was produced along with a brown furry uniform that zipped up the back. Pete Demming debuted that first mascot uniform in 1954, at the inaugural Acme-Zip Game ? not as ?Zippy? but as ?Mr. Zip? The first known printed reference to the mascot as ?Zippy? was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite?s first use of the name ?Zippy? came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing ?Mascot ? ?Zippy? ? Charles Huettner.?

[oldschoolvikings]

I mean, Penn State could have at least added a stripe to their pants to match the helmet or SOMETHING

I actually agree with the pants stripe thing. That would be sharp.

[guest23]

I thought it had been covered before that Penn State's trim was not a design decision but a functionality one.

They always wanted to have trim the same color as the jerseys, but the technology hadn't advanced to make it acceptable or comfortable to them until now.

Show your work. There is no way the manufacturers weren't able to put navy cuffs on navy jerseys and have them be comfortable until now. Most teams use the same colored collar and jersey.

Look at the older videos on that page. UniWatch had linked it at one point, but one video featured the Equipment Manager. He said something to the effect of: we never wanted contrast collars/cuffs but most companies couldn't get the colors to match (and stay matching throught the season). Nike came to them and said they could if the school still wanted that look, so they went for it. It wasn't a comfort issue; it was a color matching issue.

Okay, thanks. I will try to find the video when I get home tonight. Still, it amazes me that it was an issue with Penn State considering most other teams have collars and possibly cuffs matching the jersey color. For instance, the Chicago Bears wear a darker navy, but their jerseys have featured an elastic collar for about 20 years, always navy on the home jersey. I haven't noticed players having discolored collars towards the end of the season.

I call BS on the whole color matching thing...how many decades has michigan had a 100% navy jersey with matching collar and cuffs and how many years have they used the same suppliers (russel/nike/etc.)

that explanation makes zero sense and is utterly ridiculous

[aawagner011]

[WSU151]

That equipment manager probably tries to sell ice to eskimos as well.

With all the stuff that Nike can do fabric wise, and has been able to do the last 20 years, they couldn't match the collar to the uniform? Let's use some common sense and call BS on that one.

The excuse is still utterly ridiculous.

Nike can design a feather-print for Florida State, but when it comes to solid navy blue, it was SOL...c'mon.

[slapshot]

This sort of proves the functionality/comfort argument I mentioned before. The collars needed to be stretchy, but the materials did not allow the blue collar to perfectly match the blue of the jersey (never seemed to be an issue with other schools with similar uniforms).

Now, the colors and materials match, so they are consistent.

[TheOldRoman]

This sort of proves the functionality/comfort argument I mentioned before. The collars needed to be stretchy, but the materials did not allow the blue collar to perfectly match the blue of the jersey (never seemed to be an issue with other schools with similar uniforms).

Now, the colors and materials match, so they are consistent.

I will throw this into the BS ring, too - For the past 20 plus years, the majority of pro and college teams have had dazzle mesh on the shoulders and sleeves. Except for a few exceptions like the early '90s Vikings, manufacturers were able to get the dazzle mesh to match the regular mesh, at least to the degree it wouldn't look off to the naked eye on TV. I can't see how nobody, especially Nike who has made their unis for at least the last 17 years, would be able to match the stretchy fabric to the mesh.

[scottysprings]

That equipment manager probably tries to sell ice to eskimos as well.

With all the stuff that Nike can do fabric wise, and has been able to do the last 20 years, they couldn't match the collar to the uniform? Let's use some common sense and call BS on that one.

The excuse is still utterly ridiculous.

Nike can design a feather-print for Florida State, but when it comes to solid navy blue, it was SOL...c'mon.

Obviously the capability to produce these jerseys has been around for a number of years now, so I'm assuming the color-matching issues weren't really considered after the initial change to contrast collars and cuffs back in the 80's or whenever it happened. For whatever reason, whether it be someone at Penn State remembering what Joe Pa originally wanted back in the day or Nike presenting it as in option to the school, the color-matching capabilities and original jersey intentions weren't realized until now.

[guest23]

This sort of proves the functionality/comfort argument I mentioned before. The collars needed to be stretchy, but the materials did not allow the blue collar to perfectly match the blue of the jersey (never seemed to be an issue with other schools with similar uniforms).

Now, the colors and materials match, so they are consistent.

are you a penn state apologist or do you just believe everything that you are told?

[Brave-Bird 08]

looks like Auburn's white pants are still a closed tri-stripe, but they are definitely new...read "War Eagle" on the back.

[slapshot]

are you a penn state apologist or do you just believe everything that you are told?

Neither. Why would I suspect them of lying? If this wasn't the issue, then why was it just changed now?

Maybe Joe Paterno didn't like the way the alleged mismatched colors looked. He's not exactly on the forefront of modern design. But there's no question football program revolves around him, so there must have been a reason he didn't allow the change until now, and I haven't heard anything other than what was shown in this video.

For that reason, I'll accept what they say.

[Brave-Bird 08]

I would pay to watch that Penn State equipment manager wear a football uniform. He'd look awesome.

[guest23]

are you a penn state apologist or do you just believe everything that you are told?

Neither. Why would I suspect them of lying? If this wasn't the issue, then why was it just changed now?

Maybe Joe Paterno didn't like the way the alleged mismatched colors looked. He's not exactly on the forefront of modern design. But there's no question football program revolves around him, so there must have been a reason he didn't allow the change until now, and I haven't heard anything other than what was shown in this video.

For that reason, I'll accept what they say.

point being there were countless examples going back for decades of other teams wearing 100% navy jerseys (collars and cuffs included) and it's more than likely that a few of these schools used the same supplier as psu (nike)...in citing these examples to the contrary doesn't the equipment staff's story not pass the BS test?

[slapshot]

From what I've seen, up until 1982, the collars and cuffs did match the bodies of the jerseys. After that, the teams look like they switched materials, whether it was to a different mesh, I don't know.

At that point, the trim was contrasting.

It's believable that at that time, the colors did not match.

Maybe the colors could match by the mid 90's or early 2000's, but PSU had no reason to change because what they had worked. They were a dominant school at that time, no reason to change what was working.

Materials in the last few seasons are different than even 10 years ago, with the Pro Combat line the obvious example. So Penn State now gets the new cut, and finally changes the trim to match.

It's just a theory, but again, it's certainly plausible, so that's why I have no reason not to believe them.

[WSU151]

"Penn State could have changed but chose not to until now" (slapshot's reasoning) is a better excuse than "There's no way we could match the colors with the different fabrics" (PSU equipment manager's excuse).

[rmackman]

looks like Auburn's white pants are still a closed tri-stripe, but they are definitely new...read "War Eagle" on the back.

The game looks good, but the broadcasting still sucks.