Late yesterday afternoon, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen unveiled a new BFBS uniform. And of course, it all starts with the hype video (I’d recommend turning off the volume for this one):
New season, new threads ⚫️ 👀#Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/UG61wUXxQN
— UMass Football (@UMassFootball) July 24, 2024
As is par for the course with NCAA Football reveal videos, this one was rife with lots of quick cuts, flashing lights and foreboding music, and I just didn’t have the patience to go through it for screen grabs. Fortunately, the team did provide a few still shots of the new black kits.
Let’s take a look.
Both jersey and pants are black. While this is a BFBS uniform, UMass has worn black uniforms in the past (we’ll look at those shortly). These are probably the best of the bunch. Why is that? Because these uniforms actually have stripes.
Both sleeve caps contain maroon/white/maroon stripes. The jerseys feature a small, block “MASSACHUSETTS” wordmark in white letters, with maroon outline. Numbers are block white, also with a maroon outline. The black uniforms are pictured with both maroon and white helmets.
I know I said I wasn’t going to do any screen caps, but of the four photos tweeted out by the team, none showed the backs of the jerseys or a clear view of the side of the pants.
But the back of the jersey features a block white NOB, with white numbers outlined in maroon (same style as on the front).
Pants are obviously black, but they do feature a matching maroon/white/maroon stripe to the ones found on the sleeve caps.
Here’s a longer range shot, in which you can just make out the pants stripes.
As mentioned, the new black uniforms were shown with both a white and maroon helmet. As far as I am aware, the team doesn’t currently have a black shell (although they have worn black helmets previously).
And as I said at the top, UMass have had at least two black uniforms previously. One of which was a special one-off.
UMass wearing new stars/stripes blackout uniform for this Saturday's game against Maine at Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/GhG0LZX2rE
— Uni Watch (@UniWatch) November 6, 2017
They also had an all black uniform, including a black helmet, that was an alternate.
While I’m not a fan of the uniforms, I know that all black uniforms do still appeal to the players, students and possible recruits, and UMass have dabbled in black uniforms previously, so I’m ok with these. I like that they have stripes, although the maroon is fairly dark, so perhaps reversing the pattern (white/maroon/white) would have made for better visibility. And IMO there are very few black uniforms that look good with a helmet in any color but black — especially white — so I hope the team wears the maroon buckets or adds a black helmet to pair with this uniform. It’s not great…but it’s not terrible either.
Your thoughts?
That’s a whole lotta black/white football uni stuff this week. I guess Notre Dame wins the week?
Black and maroon has to be one of the worst color combos. This looks bad, South Carolina looks bad. I can’t think of a team/jersey that managed to make black and maroon work
It works for South Carolina because that has been the color scheme for what seems like forever, like Clemson makes orange and purple work but it wouldn’t be a trend I would want to see.
“Late yesterday afternnon”
Did you mean you got to have some “naan” late yesterday? I love me some good naan. ; )
Naan sequitur.
The comments are reserved for serious sports jawboning. Enough with the naansense.
I was looking for Uni Watch. But I’m excited that I stumbled upon the Naan sub reddit.
Wish there was a white stripe in the middle of the maroon helmet and a maroon stripe in rhe middle of the white helmet.
“While I’m not a fan of the uniforms, I know that all black uniforms do still appeal to the players, students and possible recruits”
Phil, for at least ten years we’ve all been saying that players and such love black uniforms. But do we know this to still be true or are we simply assuming? Is it possible that players and fans simply like what’s new and shiny, and that any “special” uniform would get them just as excited? I know this is a difficult thought to verify, but I wonder if “BFBS” is more prescient than ever.
I don’t know “100%” for sure, and yes, I’m sure players/recruits/fans would probably also be excited for any new uniform. But the fact that when teams veer from their own school colors, it’s almost invariably towards black. I doubt teams/uni makers would keep creating black alternates if they weren’t 1) popular and 2) selling as merch.
Granted. There are some who argue (I even did a post on this a while back) that “black” is a neutral color, like white, so schools don’t have too many options if they choose to go outside of their school colors. Dark gray/anthracite is about the only other “neutral” color.
The only proof I have is in the pudding. If black jerseys weren’t popular or sell well, I’m pretty sure schools/uni makers wouldn’t be producing them.
YMMV and all that.
How did I forget about those 2017 Stars-and-Stripes monstrosities? When we’re voting worst college football uniforms of all time, those at least have to be on the ballot.
Now introducing, “The Two-Piece Bathing Suit Football Uniform”. Might as well just play naked. Paint some numbers on your chest and back. Voila, air resistant uniform to the max.
I think these look nice. They should do white helmet with dark jersey set and maroon helmet with white jersey set.
Someone remind UMass that the college across town (Amherst, my alma mater) is the only team in Amherst MA that should be wearing black on account of it’s actually one of our colors.
The uniform reveals are embarrassing and unoriginal.
A bad uniform for a team that nobody cares about and that along with its “rival” UConn should be playing in FCS. The white helmet over monochrome black is an abomination.
They’re fine. At least there are contrasting stripes.
This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday that the Jags should NOT do with their new lid…the all-black uni is fine, if unnecessary, but the white helmet with the all-black uniform looks RIDICULOUS.
I don’t know, black is a slimming color, and black color rush makes players look smaller. Want to look dominant playing football. If not the maroon/white combos, even the grey unis looked better. Just an opinion
They suck. Jsut like 95% of new uniforms these days.
As a UMass alum who has suffered through the football team’s transition to DI, thank you so much for covering them as though they actually matter