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Baylor Football Adds New Alternate for 2024

After introducing three new uniforms earlier this week, as promised, the Baylor introduced a fourth uniform earlier this morning.

Speculation at the time was the new alternate would be gray or black. Previously Baylor had worn gray uniforms and black uniforms, so their would be historical precedent for either color. They’ve split the difference — the new alternates are anthracite.

Before we get into the new unis, the obligatory hype video:

While the new uniforms unveiled on Tuesday were in school colors, and featured new striping on the sleeve caps and pants, the new anthracite uniforms will attempt to have a bit of a throwback vibe, while still being a distinctly new look.

HELMET

The new helmet is anthracite, with a matte finish, and featuring the classic interlocking “BU” logo in gold on the sides. The facemask is black, and the nose bumper has the bear logo graphic.

JERSEY

This jersey features none of the striping that was added to their three other new uniforms, although there is a sublimated graphic on the sleeve caps (which we’ll look at in a minute). It has a “BAYLOR” wordmark across the chest in gold lettering with a plain collar. These two elements are not present on the new jerseys, which have no wordmark and the bear logo at the base of the collar. Front and rear numbers, as well as NOB, are also in gold.

A closer look at the sleeve cap shows a sublimated bear paw design.

That element is a harkback to a prior generation of uniform which had a similar design.

PANTS/FULL UNIFORM

The pants are solid anthracite and stripeless (although the quick closeup in the video shows what might be a faint black design element). From any distance they’ll appear solid anthracite, so for all intents and purposes, I consider them as such.

__________

First off: the new alternate is “AFAS” (anthracite for anthracite’s sake), with Baylor’s official colors being “Baylor Green” and “University Gold”. With that being said, Baylor football have worn shades of gray and black previously, so adding an anthracite alternate remains on-brand.

I was certainly pleased when the uniforms unveiled earlier this week added stripes (a relatively minor tweak which I feel is a major upgrade), so I’m disappointed these will be stripeless. I’m also not a fan of teams that go full-mono (no matter what color), and this uniform will likely be worn as seen, with no possibility of mixing in any green/gold/white elements, since the uniform styles are different. I’m ok with the “BAYLOR” wordmark, and that’s an element missing from the other three new uniforms. And I’m really not a fan of stripeless pants.

I’m sure these uniforms will be well received by the team and some fans, and this continues the recent trend in football (both college and pro) toward a single, solid color uniform and helmet. The bear paw on the sleeve caps will also probably strike a chord among the fan base, even if it will be difficult to see at any distance.

Bottom line: it’s not my cup of tea, as I’ve outlined above. But it’s also not aimed at me. If the players and recruits (and at least a decent portion of the fan base) like it, then it has succeeded in its goal. And since it’s a fourth uniform, it’ll probably see limited use (and maybe even *saved* for a rivalry or night game). The design also succeeds in its most basic function: to identify the team and to have readable, legible numbers.

It might not be in school colors, but it’s an option that will more likely than not be very popular with the players and fans.

Your thoughts?

 
  
 
Comments (25)

    I realize this stuff is “very popular with players” but at what point will the players start noticing that every school now looks exactly the same? Like what is the actual unique selling point here? “Our black is slightly greyer” doesn’t seem like much of a hook.

    I think the second half of your statement is more true: far more than just what’s “popular with players” is whatever fans are interested in buying. Because we live in an age where an alternate anthracite Baylor jersey could be considered semi-formal attire, so why not buy one.

    That’s a great point about everyone looking the same- following a trend I thought (hoped) was played out a decade ago. I’m not a Baylor fan, but after the reveal for the main unis this week this is a huge downgrade.

    Do you think players care that other teams have similar black uniforms? I think they would care more if their team DIDN’T have one. I’ve seen numerous reaction videos from teams who get seriously/weirdly excited that their team is adding a black uniform. They seem to be almost universally loved by players and by quite a few fans, even if they’re not a favorite of uniform aficionados.

    “we live in an age where an alternate anthracite Baylor jersey could be considered semi-formal attire”

    *Shudder* (because you’re right)

    Totally agree. I think some BFBS/GFGS/AFAS uniforms look ok if not good, but the whole black alternate is SOOOOOO played out. It’s cliche now. It’s boring, it’s lazy.

    Aren’t the terms “anthracite” and “throwback vibe” mutually exclusive?

    Interesting choice going with a “The Walking Dead”-vibe in the photo of the player coming through the fence.

    I really do appreciate Phil’s statement, “And I’m really not a fan of stripeless pants.” Bravo! I’ve never been a fan of stripeless pants, which we now see creeping more and more into the NFL (look at the new Detroit Lions uniforms, etc.) and have been in college football more and more. As a long-time SWC fan, I think these uniforms for Baylor are hideous, and nowhere close to the gorgeous uniforms worn by Baylor in the 1980s. Black for black sake, or anthracite for anthracite sake is just plain wrong; and frankly I’m tired of seeing schools and professional teams wear colors that are not part of the team’s ensemble. Nike has played a large part in this; all the “stories” with every uniform rollout, the constant fascination wtih button down jerseys (and the shrinking placket) over pull-overs, BFBS uniforms, the poor design quality (as seen so evident in this year’s catastrophic MLB uniform Nike template roll-out). Nike should have stayed as a shoe company (an over-hyped shoe company at that) only. And unfortunately, Baylor being a long-time Nike school makes all this come together in the worst way for the new Baylor uniforms.

    Baylor should return to a semblence of these: link

    Well, on page 273 of the NCAA rulebook, it does state that all teams must include either a BFBS or GFGS uniform if they’ve updated their uniforms in any significant way since 1990 so Baylor had to release these to be in compliance.

    Anybody else HATE the way that Nike has been placing numerals lately, especially with the number 11 in sans serif fonts? To me, it doesn’t even read like a number, just a couple of bars. (I’m a Jets fan and they had the same thing on the recently abandoned set.) On Baylor’s anthracite uniforms, it actually just looks like a truncated double yellow line from a road.

    Anybody else HATE the way that Nike has been placing numerals lately, especially with the number 11 in sans serif fonts?

    YES!!!

    I’m on record as being a fan of anthracite (although this seems a little darker than Wazzu), so my only problems are:
    1) FIX THE NUMBER SPACING!!
    2) Put stripes on the pants!

    I’m on record as being a fan of anthracite (although this seems a little darker than Wazzu)

    So would this be midnight anthracite?

    We should probably reserve judgment until we see them on the field. Although it wouldn’t surprise me if they save them for a night game, should they get one.

    Obviously at Halftime Chip and Joanna are going to come out and Fixer Upper these with some stripes

    I am sorry. It is absolute trash. Stupid, stupid, stupid, and the dated claw shit…. they just couldn’t handle having something stupid. Honoring the past with the black just completely gets by me…??? The Baylor wordmark??? Because YOU WOULDN’T KNOW WHO WAS PLAYING otherwise.

    And despite Phil’s eloquent “put yourself in their shoes” post…. I just can’t. I will never understand all the people that think these are fire! Hey, if you want to wear black, come play for Texas Tech!

    Nah for me.
    Their color palette is fine with green and athletic gold. They mix and match well in any combination.
    Gray/anthracite isn’t a school color. Hell, it isn’t a traditional football color. There is no need for a 4th uniform and helmet for a school that might play 13 games in a season. Less is more sometimes.
    And I am rejoining the chorus telling Nike to space out the uniform numbers. Particu

    Particularly the 11s. It leaves so much space and it looks like a mistake almost every time.

    Interesting takes here. While the color scheme isn’t great, these are still better than their previous unveiling because they look like Baylor uniforms instead of the Baylor Packers.

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