College Football 2013 Season

[guest23]

When is Houston going to realize they need to not have cookie-cutter uniforms?

When you're a B list school like UH you're not in a position to be too picky. Sucks, but what can you do?

Well, you could go with a smaller company that doesn't treat you like a B list school, a company that will put some time and effort into a design that would be yours alone. Or, you know, go with Nike who'll treat you like an easy side piece, and can barely be bothered to spend 5 minutes to have a computer slap your colors onto a premade template. But, hey, at least you get that allmight swoosh on your generic dime-a-dozen uniform design.

Call me crazy, I guess.

You think Adidas would treat them better? Or would you rather Russell or Under Armor design their "unique" uniforms. And I'm pretty sure next year they're getting new uniforms anyway.

You seem to be missing my point. No, I don't think Adidas, Russell, or Under Armor would treat them any better... or really, any different at all. With the exception of personal preference on the part of uniform geeks like us, there really isn't much difference between one megasports supplier and the next. Same basic way of doing business, and more tails wagging the dogs.

How about this for a radical idea? A college could, I dunno... design their own damn uniforms (or hire a local design firm to do so), then hire an apparel manufacturer to make them. See, when you pay the vender (instead of the other way around) you get to call the shots. No matter that you're a "B lister"... you are writing the check, so you get to say if the design isn't good enough, and you get to complain if you feel like they're not taking your business seriously. You even get to fire them when they deliver a paint-by-numbers hack job. And what do you lose? No swoosh on your shirt.

Damn, it really seems like we've gotten to the point where people honestly believe they have no choice but to play this big time label game. But do they really?

Here's the thing. They do have a choice and don't have to take the generic template. This idea that the big time schools get priority is somewhat a misnomer. The client drives the look, not the designer. If the client in this case the school doesn't give a crap, then they just get a generic template, and that is what is happening. I'm pretty sure that any school can turn to their uniform manufacturer and say, "This is what we want." I just don't think they care enough to do so. You have schools like West Virginia which is not a top school getting 50 million designed uniforms, do you think their manufacturer just said, "Hey, WVU, we have this great idea to give you 50 million uniforms. What do you say?" No. West Virginia said that they wanted a different look. The blame lies not on the manufacturer, but on the schools that accept these designs. I mean, how hard would it be for UCLA to say to Addidas, "We will not accept these uniforms. These are NOT UCLA hoops. Get it right or we find someone who can make UCLA hoops." But UCLA doesn't care. Houston doesn't care. Why can Notre Dame look the way they do? Because they care about who they are. The power lies within the schools to develop and keep their look. They don't have to sign off on any of these designs.

I feel like this is a pretty old bit that we've been thru over and over, but we just keep getting back to. Yes yes yes, we all know that fault ultimately lies with the school that signs off on this. Yes, we all know that any school could make a bit of a stink and get more from the manufacterer than they would if they just sit back and take it. My point is that it's lazyness on both sides. The schools at this level should demand more of the supplier, and the supplier should demand more of itself. But, generally, neither side does. The school dosen't because they are much more interested in the superficial meaning behind having that logo on thier uniform (kids/recruits think Nike is cool) than they are with the performance/design aspects (all that lighter/faster/better hoohaa), and the manufacturer doesn't because, hell, it's business... if you can pawn off the same templete again, why not?

I've taught at threee different mid-level universities (two were MAC schools), and every one has a School of the Arts, within which is a design department where they teach this very stuff, and within which the students are sold on the idea that they're getting a great education, the kind of education which could very well lead to a job at Nike/Adidas/Under Armor. The design aspect could be handled in house. And, I know the big three companies like to say they're doing something no one else is capable of, but I know there are hundreds of apparel manufacterers (not mom and pop's, but big time companies... just not as big time as Nikeadidasunderarmor... many of these companies handle work that's farmed out from the big boys, anyway) who can be told what materials and performance features a client is interested in and deliver a good product.

But that's not what any of this is about. Nikeadidasunderarmor just wants to get their logo on as many jerseys as possible to spread the brand, and 2nd tier schools just want the logo, for that artificial stamp of approval. All that's fine I guess, but it's irksome when they try so hard to pertend otherwise, and make such a big deal about these "rebrandings". You know what would be awesome? The next time a 2nd tier school wants to show off a new design, just call the press, and project a big Nike swoosh on the screen in the school colors, because that's really what they're showing off.

Either that or they could just open up the catalog and turn to page 22 or do a mockup on teambuilder.

The design major is a good idea that would produce some real results which I think often gets lost in higher education. There are so many internal functions within a university that could be run by various departments and provide actual real world experience. I know some schools do this to a small degree with areas like IT, but it seems that the trend is to contract or even outsource may university functions that could provide early career experience.

[nuordr]

Uni-Watch posted this possible new uniform of the Texas A&M aggies today:

[tmacsports]

I thought they wore that last season?

[aawagner011]

Yes, it is virtually identical to this uniform:

[cajunaggie08]

Yes, it is virtually identical to this uniform:

It looks like it IS that uniform

[wILL-INI]

I've always felt like Black is not the color I want to wear in Texas, in Sept.

[Coheed]

Yea, that uniform is nothing new.

[conner62]

Memphis is letting the alumni vote on their new uniforms for their move to the AAC. Here is their options

Option 1

Option 2

Personally i prefer Option 1

[Coheed]

Gotta agree with you there.

[DrizzyDrew1523]

The gray on the black jersey's cuffs stick out like a sore thumb. That jersey also uses a different number font (Miami Hurricanes first pro combat?).

Also, the Cincinnati Bengals need to take option number 1, change the colors, and they would finally look good.

[Brave-Bird 08]

Is there a reason the number font is Miami's for the black jersey?

[bucknut40]

Is there a reason the number font is Miami's for the black jersey?

Probably a NikeTeam.com thing

[nuordr]

Memphis is letting the alumni vote on their new uniforms for their move to the AAC. Here is their options

Option 1

Option 2

Personally i prefer Option 1

I like option 1 better mainly because the black jersey has TV numbers whereas the black option 2 does not. I thought that was kinda weird.

[Midway]

Nike should refuse to give schools the option to pick cheap designs by, designing better stuff

[vmd9]

Nike should refuse to give schools the option to pick cheap designs by, designing better stuff

Clients get what they want. Schools are paying Nike to give them uniforms.

[pianoknight]

I've always felt like Black is not the color I want to wear in Texas, in Sept.

That that to the Red Raiders.

Who don't really wear red. They wear black.

[thespleenenator]

Memphis is letting the alumni vote on their new uniforms for their move to the AAC. Here is their options

Option 1

Option 2

Personally i prefer Option 1

Option 2. If you're going to go tiger stripes, go all out.

Also I absolutely love those uniforms.

[Raysfan12]

Memphis is letting the alumni vote on their new uniforms for their move to the AAC. Here is their options

Option 1

Option 2

Personally i prefer Option 1

Option 2. If you're going to go tiger stripes, go all out.

Also I absolutely love those uniforms.

Compared to these, I agree. The Bengals would look great in those too.

[gdu]

Memphis is letting the alumni vote on their new uniforms for their move to the AAC. Here is their options

Option 1

Option 2

Personally i prefer Option 1

Well done Memphis. Not too many schools can choose from stick nike team options and make a decent looking uniform. option 1 for me.

[gdu]

I've always felt like Black is not the color I want to wear in Texas, in Sept.

True, but that's exactly why you should wear it. TCU went black on black in Sept 2010 vs. Baylor and absolutely drilled them. I could hear the Baylor guys talking about how crazy it was before the game. TCU had already won by then because it was in Baylor's head.