The numbers make me think middle school football. Other than that I love the Maroon helmet, white jersey and maroon pant combo. All maroon is growing on me.
Well, at least they didn’t add a black uniform.
Texas A&M unveiled its new set of uniforms yesterday and the changes — while they might appear drastic or Temple-esque to some — actually harken back to Aggie football in the 1970s. The standout points:
1. Dual stripes now run down the shoulders of the jerseys.
2. The “12th Man” logo now appears on the sleeve of the long, fitted undershirt.
3. The A&M logo inside an outline of the state of Texas — smart branding move — now adorns the pant legs.
4. An unnecessary silver, fake bevel has been added to the numbers (which is at least better than the “fake shadow” numerals that became trendy in the 1990s and early 2000s).
5. A white helmet so the school can mix and match uniform combinations like 99.9% of all other schools.
If you’re looking for a 6th standout nugget from yesterday’s fashion show, Lauren Tannehill showed up with her hubby, former Aggie and current Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
While we’re not in love with the new look, it could’ve been worse. A lot worse if you consider Oregon’s uniforms. But the school chose to tie into its traditions instead… and it’s hard to grade it down for doing so.
With any uniform change, three things are key. First, will recruits like them? Second, will fans by replicas of them, putting money into a school’s coffers? Third, will the players like them? As far as question three goes, new coach Kevin Sumlin says his team is A-OK with the switch:
“Our team is really excited about the new uniforms for the upcoming season. adidas has don a great job of developing a uniform that blends our great history and tradition with a modern look that our players and recruits will really like. We are looking forward to wearing them this inaugural season in the SEC.”
You only need look at the correct — yet silly — uncapitalized spelling of adidas to know that Sumlin’s comment came in press release form.
The best news in all this: Fashion season is over and A&M, Missouri, Arkansas and Vanderbilt have all had their day on the runway. Now — unless there’s a uni change I’m unaware of — it’s time to start talking football again.
A full gallery of photos from yesterday’s fashion show can be found here. A video can be viewed here.
