Syracuse Football: New uniforms are perfect blend of old and new

The new Syracuse football uniforms have been revealed and they’re a perfect blend of old and new. Here are all the details and insight from Nike.

For the first time since 2014, the Syracuse football squad has changed their uniforms on a major level.

These changes coincide with the multi-year agreement between Syracuse University and Nike. Customarily new uniforms are included in the deals and Syracuse football was no exception.

When the original contract between Syracuse and Nike was coming to a close, fans started speculating if new uniforms would come with it.

After several teases from Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack and the Orange social media team over the last week, they delivered a beautiful product that respects the rich tradition of the Orange but doesn’t neglect the bright future of the program.

The brand new uniforms were unveiled at the Orange Summer Kickoff event at Turning Stone’s Lava Nightclub.

When Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers was introduced to the raucous crowd of SU fans, James Brown’s “I Feel Good” was blasting on the speakers, a fitting song for this event.

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Deion ‘Prime Time’ Sanders once said if you feel good, look good, you play good.

This is a new era of Syracuse football led by Dino Babers and a slew of exciting young stars on offense (Tommy DeVito), defense (Andre Cisco), and yes even special teams (Andre Szmyt).

A new era desperately needed a facelift and the Nike brand delivered that in spades with their three distinct uniform designs.

https://twitter.com/CuseFootball/status/1142226639344062469

“Featuring custom design elements and Nike’s Vapor Untouchable technology, the uniforms merge the Orange’s historic past with the latest in uniform innovation,” per the Syracuse press release.

Here are some of the specific design elements that were entirely unique to Syracuse here (via Cuse.com):

• Bold sleeve stripes that harken back to those displayed on the jerseys worn by Orange legends like Jim Brown, Floyd Little, and Larry Csonka during the 1950s and ‘60s.
• Syracuse’s familiar block-S patch on the front of the neck, which features a raised texture resembling the hard edges of the Dome’s architecture.
• The words “For the Glory” on the inside of the neckline. The phrase is a reference to the last line of Syracuse University’s fight song – “Down the Field.” The song culminates with the rallying cry: “For we’ll fight, yes we’ll fight, and with all our might, for the glory of old Syracuse.”
• The return of pant stripes that were staples of previous Syracuse uniform iterations worn prior to 2014.

Syracuse now will have three distinct colors for the 2019 campaign that features orange, blue and white.

Which means there are nine different possible uniform combinations (not including helmets in the equation). If you factor in the helmets, there are 18 different combinations. Per the press release, Syracuse will not wear blue helmets in 2019.

Fans have been desperate for a trip down memory lane with the uniforms and the helmets. Well, the Orange helmet rings the bell with a classic look that includes a modern more vibrant orange hue.

You’ll also notice the detailed stripe that has been a staple in the Syracuse teams of the 1980s and 90s, that element was teased on social media earlier in the day on Friday.

Although the biggest takeaway is branding. Fans wanted this team to embrace their name: ORANGE. They’ve done that with the Orange jersey and more importantly with the word Orange emblazoned on the front of every jersey combination in bold font.

Another thing fans have been frustrated with is not being able to purchase the jerseys and all colors of it. Well according to AD John Wildhack those days are over, fans can start to purchase these jerseys (in all three colors) as well as replica helmets in August at Shop.cuse.com and at local retailers.