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Nike Pro Combat Uniforms: Grading and Ranking New Look For All 10 Teams | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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Sam WestmorelandFeatured ColumnistSeptember 1, 2010

Nike Pro Combat Uniforms: Grading and Ranking New Look For All 10 Teams

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The new Nike Pro Combat unis. Be afraid.

As college football season draws ever closer (can you taste the tailgate barbecue yet?), more and more uniforms are being unveiled. 

On Wednesday, Nike unveiled it’s second-generation of Pro Combat uniforms. Last year’s were met with some mixed reviews, depending on the team you were looking at. 

With new teams on the slate this year, there are sure to be some definite winners and losers among the unis. I bring you one of the most comprehensive rankings you’ll find this side of Paul Lukas.

10. Virginia Tech Hokies

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Blech.

Virginia Tech goes all black for their clash with Boise State on September 6th. This is my least favorite uniform of the bunch, and here’s why. 

Jersey: A classic case of black for black’s sake. It’s not one of VT’s colors, and it doesn’t belong as the primary color on this jersey. The shoulder stripes are odd, and I’m not a big fan of this whole circuit board thing Nike’s been doing with a lot of their uniforms. I get that no one really knows what a Hokie is, but I feel like Nike didn’t put forth much effort in this one. The maroon in the numbers makes the tops of them difficult to read against the black, and it’ll only get worse once someone sweats in it. Grade: D.

Pants: Not too bad, although, once again, we have that ridiculous circuit board print. The VT motto Ut Prosim, or “That I may serve”, is printed on the back of the pants, and makes it look like the players are wearing a fanny pack. Grade: C+.

Helmet: Black, with orange writing, and a two tone, thick stripe down the middle. It starts out maroon, but turns orange! I dig the motto here more than on the pants, and, despite the darkness of the whole helmet, it’s not the worst. Grade: B-.

Overall: A poor second effort from Nike. Too much black, weird stripes, and the circuit board all turn me off. Grade: D. 

9. West Virginia Mountaineers

2 of 10

Could have been awesome.

Jersey: I get the coal thing with the sleeves and the numbers, I just don’t like it. It makes the jersey busy and takes away from what would otherwise be a not too terrible shirt. Grade: C-

Pants: Nothing really going on. Some odd stripes on the back, but they aren’t too bad. Grade: B-.

Helmet: More coal black, and it blends with the blue of the logo to create some issues. They didn’t give WVU a slogan, but, hey, could be worse. Grade :C.

Overall: Not Nike’s worst effort, and points for trying with the coal. But it didn’t work. Grade: C

8. Boise State Broncos

3 of 10

Why so boring?

Jersey: Not a huge fan of the grey; where does Nike come up with these colors? The blue is nice, and I like the numbers, but the shoulder Bronco is a bit perplexing. I don’t know what to make of it Grade: C.

Pants: The blue complements the grey of the jersey well, but the bronco on the hip is way too big. Grade: B-

Helmet: The worst helmet of the group. I don’t like the bronco at all; it’s way too big, and it should really be orange (since there’s so little of it on the jerseys). Grade: D.

Overall: They could have done so much with Boise’s colors, but the went as bland as possible. Shame on Nike. Grade: C. 

7. Miami Hurricanes

4 of 10

No Parking!

Jerseys: Orange has never been too high on the “Colors that are awesome on a jersey” list. This shirt proves why. The Hurricanes look like traffic cones. Grade: C-

Pants: The random stripe down the side perplexes me, because there are no stripes on the jersey at all. Still, other than being bright orange, not much to say here. Grade: B. 

Helmet: I don’t like the green helmet, although they couldn’t go orange, otherwise they would actually be traffic cones. White always worked best with MU’s two tone logo, I don’t know why they can’t figure that out. Grade: C.

Overall: Given Nike’s history, this could have been waaaaaay worse. Overall: C+

6. Florida Gators

5 of 10

How many gators had to die so Nike could make those helmets?

Jersey: Nike needs to understand that patterns on numbers is kind of dumb. There are weird flecks of color on the upper torso that don’t really seem to go to anything. But, at least it’s Florida’s colors. Grade: B-. 

Pants: The blue is really nice, and works with the white. Solid, but unspectacular. Grade: B.

Helmet: HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I take back what I said about Boise’s helmet. This is the dumbest one of the group. Grade: D.

Overall: Not a bad effort, if a little bland. The helmet almost kills the whole thing, though. Grade: B-.

5. TCU Horned Frogs

6 of 10

If only they didn’t have asphalt on their pants.

Jersey: Black is one of their colors, and I dig the purple shoulder stripes. Very simple, yet modern jersey. Not a fan of the textured numbers, though. Grade: B. 

Pants: Looks like asphalt. Grade: C-. 

Helmet: More asphalt, and not enough team colors. Grade: C.

Overall: A decent effort, considering last year’s shoulder mess. Grade: B-.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

7 of 10

Do you see a difference here?

Jersey: Other than the odd texture, which I assume is an ode to Bear Bryant’s hat, this looks the exact same. This is the one instance where I like the pattern on the numbers. Grade: B+.

Pants: Same as the jersey. Whats the difference? Solid effort, recognized that they were fine. Grade: B-.

Helmet: Patterned stripe down the middle. That’s all that’s new here. Grade: B.

Overall: Nike knew better than to do too much to this uniform. They kept it simple, and the pattern actually works. Grade: B.

3. Pitt

8 of 10

Classy.

Jersey: Simple, understated, perfect color without too much going on. The script for the numbers is awful, but the color works with the jerseys. Grade: B-.

Pants: Simple. Monotone, but not bad. Grade: B. 

Helmet: Were it not for the weird script, this would be an awesome helmet. Grade: B+

Overall: Weird font, otherwise, not much going on to complain about. Grade: B.

2. Oregon State Beavers

9 of 10

An instant classic.

Ah, the one with the potential to make us all go blind. 

Jerseys: Pretty much perfect. Understated, right amount of striping and contrast, decent script. Grade: A-

Pants: The white is perfect for these jerseys, complements them well. Plus, I’m a sucker for sock stripes. Grade: A-.

Helmet: Reminiscent of Penn State in it’s simplicity. A lackluster effort from Nike there. Grade: B+

Overall: A classic. Modern throwback. It’s just what that team needs to get away from their awful uniforms last season. 

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

10 of 10

The best

The Buckeye faithful don’t like you messing with their uniforms, and with good reason. But this year’s Pro Combat jerseys and pants are the best of the bunch.

Jerseys: The crimson is fantastic. They don’t throw a bunch of funky crap in there to clutter the look of it up. I LOVE the script for the numbers. Grade: A +

Pants: A bit dark for Ohio State, but otherwise not too bad. Grade: A-.

Helmet: I know the purists will be up in arms about the red helmets. But I love them. Simple, modern, perfect for this jersey. Grade: A.

Overall: The cream of this year’s crop. Maybe a positive reception will convince Nike not to clutter up jerseys anymore. Or, maybe it wont. Grade: A.

Nike Pro-Combat College Football Uniforms – ESPN – SportsCenter.

com

• ESPN.com

Sep 1, 2010, 11:30 PM ET

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Nike unveiled its all new Pro Combat uniform series for the 2010 season. Ten elite teams were lucky enough to have Nike designers create new, light-weight uniforms for specific games, that reflect the teams’ traditions, character and culture. The ten school are: Alabama, Boise State, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, TCU, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. This is the second consecutive year has created the alternative threads. The uniforms were unveiled in New York during a fashion show hosted by ESPN College Game Day Host Chris Fowler. The term PRO-COMBAT line of unis is “Born on tradition. Built for Speed.” These uniforms are High-octane, and by no means NOT “your fathers uniforms”. The participating schools all rank in the preseason top 25. Nike convened distinguished representatives associated with each university to deliver the uniforms’ unique stories:

TCU will wear September 4 vs Oregon State

PRESENTER: Matt Lewis, TCU: Equipment Manager for the Horned Frogs who received the game ball after last year’s 55-28 victory over Utah, when TCU debuted their ’09 Nike Pro Combat uniforms.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Icy lizard-skin pattern used throughout the uniform inspired by the scaly body armor of TCU’s horned frog mascot and a memorable quote from celebrated coach Leo “Dutch” Meyer.

Boise State will wear September 6 vs Virginia Tech

PRESENTER: Jerard Rabb, Boise State: Broncos wide receiver on the historic hook and ladder play that propelled Boise State to victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Reflective, Game Royal Bronco head on the uniform echoes the famed blue turf of Bronco stadium.

Virginia Tech will wear September 6 vs Boise State

PRESENTER: Col. Rock Roszak, Virginia Tech: Alum of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, Roszak received numerous decorations during 27 years of active duty service in the U.S. Air Force.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: All-black uniform references the cadet gray-and-black regalia worn by Virginia Tech’s original football team and honors the school’s current Corps of Cadets.

Florida will wear October 30 vs Georgia

PRESENTER: Errict Rhett, Florida: Led Florida in rushing yards all four seasons of his college career and played seven seasons in the NFL.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Alligator-skin motif used in the jersey numbers, pant, gloves and footwear inspired by menacing Gator mascot.

Alabama will wear November 13 vs Mississippi State

PRESENTER: Marty Lyons, Alabama: Crimson Tide All-America defensive tackle who played for Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 1978 National Champion team and went on to an 11-year career with the New York Jets.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Hounds tooth check pattern incorporated into the uniform in tribute to legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Miami will wear November 20 vs Virginia Tech

PRESENTER: Michael Irvin, Miami: NFL Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion who led the Hurricanes to a National Championship in 1987.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Tonal Fir palm-frond print emblematic of South Florida incorporated into the jersey numbers, pant and footwear.

Pittsburgh will wear November 26 vs West Virginia

PRESENTER: Ruben Brown, Pittsburgh: A mainstay on Pitt’s offensive line for four years, Brown played for the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears, starting in 181 games.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Notched Team Gold jersey numbers and stencil stripe on the helmet evoke steel I-beams in reference to Pittsburgh’s steel industry.

West Virginia will wear November 26 vs Pittsburgh

PRESENTER: Bob Huggins, West Virginia University: Mountaineer alum and current head basketball coach, Huggins has one of the highest winning percentages in Division I basketball.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: A headlamp-like line running front-to-back on the helmet and smudged Black pattern on the uniform pay respect to the region’s coal mining industry.

The Ohio State University will wear November 27 vs Michigan

PRESENTER: Charles Csuri, Ohio State: Decorated WWII veteran and the father of digital art and animation, Csuri first made history as part of the 1942 Buckeyes National Championship team.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Stylized script numbers, a replica U.S. flag on the jersey sleeve and the camouflage-print base layer honor the WWII-bound Buckeyes, National Champions of 1942.

Oregon State will wear December 4 vs Oregon

PRESENTER: Steve Preece, Oregon State: A key member of Oregon State’s 1967 team known as the “Giant Killers,” Preece went on to a successful career as defensive back with the Los Angeles Rams.

KEY DESIGN DETAILS: Retro design revives a look worn by the victorious 1967 “Giant Killers. ”

The uniforms were designed from the inside out, beginning with the padded base layer. The Nike Pro Combat base layer allows for specific pad placement to suit every position, providing a highly customized solution. The base layer also delivers critical protection and greater mobility than traditional pads for unencumbered speed.

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