Tennessee's New Nike Duds Downplay Lady Vols' Blue, Expand Use Of Grey Alternates
The Univ. of Tennessee on Wednesday began its new eight-year, $35M apparel deal with Nike "with an elaborately produced hour-long webcast entitled 'Swoosh,'" which featured UT athletes "walking and striking poses on a runway," according to Dustin Dopriak of the Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL. The Nike launch "coincided with the restriction of the use of the Lady Vols nickname to the women’s basketball program, and the launch gave fans an idea of just how much that brand will change." UT women’s programs have historically "used baby blue as an accent color on their uniforms," but there was "very little of that to be found in Wednesday’s launch." adidas last season "used baby blue on the straps and the sides of the Lady Vols’ jerseys and also used it on the shorts." But the only trace of blue on the new Nike uniforms is "within the Lady Vols’ logo on the side of the shorts." Still, there is a "large Lady Vols watermark on the back of the jersey." An apparent "lack of Lady Vols gear immediately available in the Nike team shop in Neyland Stadium and the Vol Shop in the Tennessee Student Union" gave critics of the school's decision "another reason to complain." But there was Lady Vols gear "available for order online from the Vol Shop." Other changes Nike made "were less controversial, but also significant." The company "made more use of Tennessee’s trademark checkerboard pattern, putting it on the side of the football pants, the back of the football helmets and down the side of the shorts of the men’s and women’s basketball teams." Nike also "expanded use of the smokey grey alternate jersey concept." The football team, both basketball teams, and the baseball team "all unveiled smokey grey alternates." Nike also designed a smokey grey football helmet that "includes a silhouette of the Smoky Mountains on the back" (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 7/2).
ORANGE YOU GLAD? In Tennessee, Patrick Brown writes the numbers on UT's traditional orange-and-white football uniforms "are a little bit larger than they were last season, and solid orange stripes on the helmets and down the side of the pants fade into orange-and-white checkerboard patterns." The Power T logo "is back on the hip of the pants." UT football "again will have four different combinations -- orange-on-white, all-orange, white-on-orange and the all-white 'Stormtrooper' look -- to choose from every game." It will "remain important from Tennessee's perspective to maintain its tradition while also finding a more updated look" (CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS, 7/2).
DEVIL WITH A NEW DRESS: In Phoenix, Andrew Joseph noted Wednesday marked the start of Arizona State's eight-year deal with adidas, and the brand "will provide apparel for every ASU varsity program -- something Nike did not do." ASU athletics' Twitter feed posted images of a new baseball cleat design. ASU baseball was previously outfitted by Wilson, "so it should come as no surprise that" the new cleats were unveiled "right away," as were new football jerseys. adidas "did not change the pitchfork logo" (AZCENTRAL.com, 7/1).
BEARCAT NECESSITIES: In Cincinnati, Tom Groschen notes the Univ. of Cincinnati on Wednesday "unleashed a social media blitz" to kick off the school's "new 10-year deal with Under Armour, which has replaced adidas as the official UC outfitter." UC AD Mike Bohn said that the new Under Armour team uniforms "will be unveiled over the next several months, including for the UC football team in August." Bohn added that UC also "plans a bigger roll-out of Under Armour gear near the beginning of football season in September," and UC fans "can start looking for Under Armour items as they gradually are produced" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/2).
