University of Oklahoma Football Concept

[JPDesign]

I've been playing around with some Oklahoma Football concepts recently since a discussion about the team's uniform history arose on another board. Most of these are faux-backs but one shows off a concept for a possible evolution of their current look. I included a link to an old photo of each set's inspiration where applicable. Click each image to view larger.

First, the current uniforms for reference:

A fauxback to our first ever uniform set. 1899 was also the year of the Oklahoma Land Run, which is where the "Sooners" name came from. On the home collar I have "Boomer" and the away collar "Sooner" as a nod to that historic date.

Then an out-there 1904–inspired fauxback. This was the year that Oklahoma played Oklahoma State (then, Oklahoma A&M) for the first time and won 75-0. Thus, "75-0" is on the inside collar. One of these would be cool to break out for a Bedlam one-off one year.

A 1938 fauxback. I'd like the see these IRL. "There's only one" is on the inside collar.

And lastly a concept on what a uniform evolution could look like for the next uniform set. "Sooner Magic" is on the inside collar.

I took some liberties with details here and there, but mostly looked to preserve the aura of the original uniforms. C&C appreciated.

[vnardella5]

second uniform

dosnt work in the nfl OR college...the steelers look like bees, sooners like candy canes or barber poles

[GriffinM6]

The last set is waaaay too similar to Nebraska. I understand that they're in different conferences now, but that's still a no no having them looking so similar.

[ONUV]

why doesn't oklahoma use cream?

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

I like having Oklahoma on the away jersey instead of Sooners. Not crazy about the sleeve stripes or the white helmet though.

[pianoknight]

Griffinmarlins is dead on. Too similar to NU. Also, FWIW ONUV, Scarlet and Cream are Nebraska's official colors. Not saying OU couldn't use cream, but cream in a NU concept would be more likely.

[hockey week]

second uniform

dosnt work in the nfl OR college...the steelers look like bees, sooners like candy canes or barber poles

Personally, I friggen love all of the above. I think that's genius. If you want more success, however, make the stripes thicker (more like the Ottawa Senators' new barber pole, or even the Ottawa 67s' barber pole, versus the Canadiens' barber pole) and make the numbers bigger with a box around them, like the Canadiens did for their barber pole jerseys. Those sweaters were awful, but those numbers popped.

I would love to see both of these, especially the OKLA jerseys, which are very doable.

edit: I'm talking about the front numbers.

[The Impaler]

Griffinmarlins is dead on. Too similar to NU. Also, FWIW ONUV, Scarlet and Cream are Nebraska's official colors. Not saying OU couldn't use cream, but cream in a NU concept would be more likely.

Pretty sure cream is an official color for OU as well.

[CDixonDesign]

That "OKLA" set is gorgeous, as well as the 1938 set.

[okcsooner35]

JP,

I am currently a student at the University of Oklahoma and I absolutely love the 1938 set. I would be ecstatic if those two jerseys were 3rd and 4th jerseys for us...maybe as a Home alternate and a Road alternate to use for big games. However, I would like to see the 1938 set with the OU logo you placed on the pants on the white helmet. That is the only change I would make.

I really like all of these, btw. Nice work.

[TheFuture]

Let's walk through each:

-The 1899 set is probably a bit too garish up front. It's important to let recruits and TV viewers know you're Oklahoma. However, a big "OU" in the front would be the equivalent of shouting nowadays.

-I don't think that second 1904 uniform could be worn on the road. There's not enough white in it and it might not have enough contrast against the other team's uniforms (especially if they wear some shade of red). I'm not even sure if it would make a legal home jersey. The Steelers got away with it because they did not use any white.

-The 1938 home uniforms remind me of the Dallas Cowboy throwbacks (only in crimson instead of blue). Also, the road uniforms look kind of like the uniforms Arkansas wore on the road a few years ago. Not necessarily bad things.

-The last set looks too much like Texas's uniforms with the two stripes on the sleeve (though Texas's stripes are much smaller). This time it would be a bad thing because you're copying one of your rivals. I do like "OKLAHOMA" on the road whites though. I wouldn't use a white helmet unless you either (1) plan on making the crimson helmets flat (like Alabama's), or (2) find some sort of way of making the white helmets metallic (and noticeable) like the current crimson helmets.

Overall, great effort but I don't think very many of these concepts would work if they were actually worn by the team. The 1938 set was the best. The team would look good in them and Sooner fans would gobble them up in the bookstore. I don't think any of them are an upgrade over their already great current set though.

[johnrafael]

From best to worst, IMO (I don't care if it look similar to another) :

1 - 1904 Red

2 - 1938 Red

3 - Sooner Magic White

4 - Sooner Magic Red

5 - Current Red

6 - 1899 Red (Playing with other teams using retro uniforms, it would be my primary choice)

7 - 1904 Striped (Sorry everybody, but i believe everything is better than a white jersey with red numbers. I miss something. Anything.

8 - 1899 white

9 - 1938 white

10 - Current white. Where's the Nike creativity?

[vicfurth]

From best to worst, IMO (I don't care if it look similar to another) :

1 - 1904 Red

2 - 1938 Red

3 - Sooner Magic White

4 - Sooner Magic Red

5 - Current Red

6 - 1899 Red (Playing with other teams using retro uniforms, it would be my primary choice)

7 - 1904 Striped (Sorry everybody, but i believe everything is better than a white jersey with red numbers. I miss something. Anything.

8 - 1899 white

9 - 1938 white

10 - Current white. Where's the Nike creativity?

Some teams should never be touched by "Nike creativity".

[BrandMooreArt]

i really like each one. agreed that the last set is too close to Nebraska, but would like to see a more modern take on 1904 stripes

[JPDesign]

I digging this up again with an additional concept. After a discussion on an OU board I decided to work up a concept that used cream. The inspiration for these came from OU's hockey sweaters and alternate bball uniforms.

[Discrim]

-As mentioned, the '38 fauxback resembles the Cowboys throwbacks. Also brings to mind a Packers uniform from the same period. As also mentioned, that is not neccesarily a bad thing.

-Man...now I wanna see that OKLA jersey IRL. As mentioned again, the hooped jersey's front, as it is, doesn't work, but could with a few small modifications.

-the 1899 fauxbacks...not completely sold on em, but then look at Nebraska's Noid jerseys from last year.

-the near future set: Valid points have been made about looking like the Horns. One reason I wouldn't have used a white helmet here unless it had striping. You would've been better off adding the Northwestern stripes from that throwback OU wore several years back to the currents.

-the cream set: One personal rule I have: never use black and navy together. A related rule: never use cream and white together without a very good reason. The one time I did, it looked like . As my old coaches used to say, make a decision. Either use a lighter cream, or use white. Not both. There aren't any elements I can see there that would warrant both.

[elsephen]

I hate that people can't see red/white stripes without thinking "candy cane" or black/yellow without thinking of bees. I get it, but it reminding you of those things (especially bees in sports) doesn't make it bad design. There's a reason candy canes and barber poles are so iconic. Why not expand it?

Anyway- I like the majority of these sets. Especially the 1938. Good job.

Cream/white as mentioned one post above... ditch the white. Just makes the cream look as if the red bled into the white in the wash. Dirty instead of clean/crisp it'd be on it's own.

[JPDesign]

A related rule: never use cream and white together without a very good reason. The one time I did, it looked like . As my old coaches used to say, make a decision. Either use a lighter cream, or use white. Not both. There aren't any elements I can see there that would warrant both.

I actually started this set using only crimson & cream. However, upon seeing how OU has used cream in uniforms in recent history (the hockey & basketball sets I linked to above) I decided to be consistent with what has been done. To avoid too much of the cream/white clashing, I made sure that cream and white are always separated by crimson.