UConn Football Returns To Roots With New Nike Uniforms

Team Colors Point Of Emphasis For New UConn Football Uniforms

The Univ. of Connecticut football program unveiled their new Nike uniforms yesterday, and coach Randy Edsall indicated that stressing the team colors was a "point of emphasis" with the redesign, according to Desmond Conner of the HARTFORD COURANT. The jerseys will only feature the school's official colors of "national flag blue" and white. The word "Connecticut" across the front of the jersey has been replaced with a "simple block C at the neckline," while the helmet, with a "big block C, wasn't changed." Edsall: "We wanted to go back to the roots of UConn football." Conner notes the uniforms do feature a new material that "feels like silk." UConn Dir of Equipment Services Dan Gilinski: "It's a stretch fabric, and what it allows the athlete to do is use their bodies naturally and not be weighed down by the fabrics of the jersey. Previously, our jerseys were quite heavy, cumbersome. This is basically allowing them to move, play naturally and also, most importantly, keep them very light and fresh throughout the entire body of the game" (HARTFORD COURANT, 6/10). In Connecticut, Neill Ostrout notes UConn and Nike officials have been "discussing and planning the new look for more than a year." Edsall said that the jersey design is "unique to UConn and not part of the Nike line to be repeated around the country" (CONNECTICUT POST, 6/10).

ALL ABOUT THE "U": The Univ. of Miami (UM) is "adopting its sports logo to represent the entire educational institution." UM's "'split U' -- orange on left side, green on the right -- began appearing on nonathletic materials" yesterday. The full "University of Miami" name will accompany the logo on "letterheads and most other uses." The school's health system also will adopt the mark (MIAMI HERALD, 6/10).