The SEC Should Lead The Way On Dark Jersey Issue

 Send This Story To A Friend

Earlier this week, when Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton asked Alabama athletic director Mal Moore if it would be okay for the two schools to start a new tradition (or actually go back to an old one), the man in Tuscaloosa rebuffed him.

The road team in the UA-UT football series would continue to wear white.
 
Despite the fact that the two schools had usually met in crimson jerseys and orange jerseys from the time of their first meeting right up until the black-and-white television period of the late 1960s.  And also despite the fact that Moore himself had worn a crimson jersey as a Tide player when his team had traveled to Knoxville so many years ago.

According to Nick Saban, the decision did belong to Moore.  I find it hard to believe that Bama’s football czar let someone else make a decision about the program, but that’s what the man claims:

“Coach Moore asked me about it and I told him, ‘Look, Mal, it’s your call.  It doesn’t bother me.  As long as we wear our traditional thing, I’m not worried about the other team and what they wear.’ … I have never, anywhere I’ve ever been, had anything to do with uniforms.  I know some guys go places and they have gold jerseys or the team has always worn white or whatever and they change this and that.  I’m not into that.  Maybe I ought to be, but I’m not.  Terry (his wife) picks out my clothes.  I can’t go shopping.  I don’t like to shop.  I don’t buy anything for myself.  Maybe that’s part of it.”

Then, perhaps UA’s decision had more to do with Tennessee’s coach than its own.

Because this idea involved Lane Kiffin, there was an immediate skin crawl effect that swept across the state of Alabama.  Tide fans screamed that the mouthy Vol coach was simply looking for a motivational edge.

I’m not sure what his edge would have been next year when the Crimson Tide strutted out in red unis at Neyland Stadium, but hey, why be rational when it comes to sports?

“How dare Tennessee and Kiffin even ask for such a thing?”



Unfortunately, the Kiffin factor has clouded the real issue — that no one you know still has a B&W television and therefore there’s no reason on God’s green earth (the earth ain’t black-and-white, either) for schools to still wear white jerseys on the road.

Take Kiffin and his psychological warfare out of the equation and the vast majority of sports fans want to see dark jersey versus dark jersey, school color versus school color.

Florida in blue against Georgia in red.

Ole Miss in navy against Arkansas in cardinal.

Alabama in crimson against Tennessee in orange.

And this is where the SEC needs to take a leadership role. 

UCLA and Southern Cal wisely agreed last year (as two schools led by adults would) to wear their dark jerseys against one another when they play.

It’s a recruiting ploy that makes the game different from all the rest in college football.  It adds uniqueness to the viewing experience each year.

So why is the SEC missing this boat?  The SEC never misses a boat.  Heck, the SEC should be driving this boat.



It’s time for Mike Slive to “encourage” SEC schools to begin wearing their dark jerseys on the road.  As long as there’s enough contrast between the unis, whites would not be required.  LSU, of course, could continue to wear white wherever they like.

Such a move by the entire league would once again set the SEC apart from the rest of the sporting world.  That is, until everyone followed the conference’s lead.  Which would once again set the SEC apart as a trendsetter.

Games in the SEC are special.  Why not include a visual queue to help drive that point home?

“SEC Football: Full-Color, Full-Tilt!” 

The branding statement is already written for ESPN and CBS.

It’s time for the marketing geniuses in Birmingham (no sarcasm there, those folks are great) to lead the way once again.

It’s time for teams to play in their dominant school colors once again.

Come on, Commish.  You know I’m right.

Give the fans what they want.  Give the TV networks something different.  And give the SEC the lead in yet another area.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts