2012 Wish List: Uniforms

Throughout the offseason, I figure we'll be getting on here and posting about things we would like to see in the 2012 football season.  None of it is in any ranked order, except for perhaps the order in which it comes to mind.

First up, though, is team uniforms.

Some teams are known for their constant, unchanging look.  Some are known for having a different uniform every game, or sometimes every half.  (Okay, so Oregon hasn't gotten that extreme yet.)

But new does not always equal better.  For that matter, neither does old.  My biggest uniform wish for 2012 is that Virginia Tech moves away from their retro style uniforms.  While I like the maroon jersey of that style, the orange is horrendous, and the white is too boring.

The uniform started as part of the "White-Out" effect, a game each season when the team is raising money for an organization to promote reading for children.  They picked elements from several old uniforms and combined them into a white uniform.  Unfortunately, that uniform has been wildly overused the last three or four seasons.  The maroon variant was added in 2009, and this season saw the even worse addition of orange, in the pants and jersey.

I miss the days when you knew that home games were maroon jerseys and white pants, and away games were white jerseys with maroon pants.  Occassionally, they would go all maroon for really big games at home, and all white at some away games when the opponent went for a solid color.  The occassional special uniform - like the various Nike Pro-Combats - are also a welcome addition, as long as they don't suck.

Which leads me to wish #2 - no poorly designed uniforms, especially the Pro-Combats.  Nike has been very hit or miss with these uniforms.  In the 2010 VT/Boise State game, both teams had NPCs.  While Tech looking sharp in the black uniforms, Boise looked a little off, largely because they were wearing blue and gray, instead of their traditional white.  Likewise, in the 2011 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game, Georgia looked like Power Rangers in their uniforms, which I think were NPCs.

This also extends to Maryland.  Enough with the state pride uniform.  It's too busy, especially the helmet.

Then, we have teams like Penn State that haven't changed their uniform in decades, if ever.  While that stability can be nice in this modern era of rotating eyesores, they are also looking dated.

So, wish #3 is for new Penn State uniforms.  And this is the best year for them to switch.  Paterno is gone, and even if it was under better circumstances, I would still be asking for new uniforms.  But even so now, it's probably a good idea for Penn State to change things up, to signify a the beginning of a new era, and also generate a little buzz that's actually good for the place.

It doesn't have to be a drastic redesign.  Just throw the logo on the helmet and add some elements to the jerseys to break up the solid blue.  It could also help identify you on the field.  Right now, I sometimes ask if I'm watching Penn State, Navy, Notre Dame, who?

Of course, people joke about Oregon's ever changing uniforms.  But at least they are done in a way where the basic elements are all there, and you always know that you're watching the Oregon Ducks.

Overall, I want well designed uniforms with enough consistency to be able to tell who the team is at a glance.