Another year, another year of new Oregon unis
'Some teams are so traditional ... and we’re always changing them'
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EUGENE, Ore. - If the Oregon Ducks mixed and matched the different components of their football uniforms, they could sport a different look in 48 games.
“There are enough uniform combinations now that I could coach for 10 more years and never see them all,” coach Mike Bellotti joked.
The Ducks made a splash on the fashion scene a couple years back by wearing “lightning” yellow uniforms. One onlooker dubbed players the “Human Highlighters.”
This season, Oregon is bucking tradition once more with redesigned pants and jerseys, and adding a more subtle color to their wardrobe: black. It joins white, dark green and the aforementioned bright yellow.
Oregon also expands its options in headgear, adding an all-white helmet to the green version the team has worn since 1999. A yellow helmet is in development, the school said.
Other changes include the word “Oregon” emblazoned down the left leg of the pants, and reflective diamond-patterned reinforcement on the shoulders and knees. The fabric is also significantly lighter.
Stylized jersey numbers are tapered at the bottom — a font called, not kidding, “Bellotti Bold.” The Ducks debut the new uniforms at home against Stanford on Sept. 2.
“Our tradition at Oregon is being a step ahead,” athletic director Bill Moos said.
Designers from Nike — the company’s founder, Phil Knight, was on the track team while an undergraduate at Oregon — worked with a committee of current and former players the past two years to design the fashion-forward uniforms.
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It is the fourth significant change in uniforms for the Ducks since Nike designed the game-day apparel for Oregon in the 1996 Cotton Bowl. A major redesign took place before the 1999 season, followed by a revision in 2003.
“It’s kind of funny how controversial it is. Some teams are so traditional with their uniforms and we’re always changing them,” said tight end Dante Rosario, who was involved in the process of designing the uniforms. “It kind of pushes that norm. But it’s all in good fun.”
The uniform switches have entertained some. One newspaper suggested that in all white, from the helmet down, the Ducks might as well be the “Fighting Sidewalk Chalks.”
One columnist, playing off Nike’s distinctive logo, called the efforts “overswoosh.”
But the detractors have it all wrong, according to the players.
“Everybody always says, ‘You guys have the craziest uniforms, blah, blah.’ But we don’t care, we like them, so hey, as long as we like them and the fans like them, we’re good,” said receiver Cameron Colvin, also involved in the design process.
Other players included in the design process included former tight end Tim Day and current quarterback Dennis Dixon. While those guys aren’t likely to follow in the footsteps of Tommy Hilfiger, they’ve put a unique stamp on their team.
“It’s just kind of what we’re about these days,” defensive lineman Cole Linehan said. “We’re kind of a new-look team with newer jerseys.”
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