Following up on a successful original “Vice U” alternate in 2023, the Florida International University Panthers unveiled their next set, new for 2024. The uniforms will debut on October 22nd against Sam Houston State on ESPNU.
The original Vice U uni was pretty hard to top, but the new 2024 edition may have just done that.
Lets’ start with the video…
2024 #ViceU uniforms are officially here. pic.twitter.com/wnQ1Fct9KL
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 4, 2024
Whew. That’s a lot to take in. Whereas the 2023 edition of the Vice uni was black, FIU has flipped the script this year and created a white version. This one has even more obvious parallels to the TV series “Miami Vice.” Indeed, the university feels a certain connection to the show, and FIU is the only NCAA football program with an on-campus stadium in Miami.
The new version of the Vice unis are all white, and are laden with aqua and fuchsia accents. The helmet logo uses the same logo font and colors from Miami Vice, and features “VICE U” in fuchsia with black blockshadow, over an aqua rectangle.
The helmet also features an aqua/fuchsia/aqua stripe, and there are outlines of palm trees in white on the pink stripe. The nose bumper has a speed boat design, similar to the model used in the promo video. The neck bumper reads “PANTHERS” in the Miami Vice font style.
The palm tree pattern seen in the helmet stripe is repeated on the pants stripe, as well as the sleeve caps, although the pattern is slightly different on the caps. “FIU” in white, with a fuchsia outline also appears on the sleeve caps.
The front of the jersey contains the Conference logo on the right chest, with the marker’s mark on the left side. “PANTHERS” is in fuchsia in the Vice font, and the uniform numbers are aqua, with a white outline, and a pink drop shadow. There is also a light blue panther head logo above “PANTHERS”, although it’s partially obscured by the chain in the photo below.
The rear of the jersey has NOB in block font, in fuchsia, while above the NOB is a graphic of a speedboat (same as on the nose bumper). Rear numbers are also light blue, outlined in white and with a fuchsia drop shadow.
The light blue panther head seen on the jersey, is featured on the right thigh, but on the pants it represents a “0” and is between the numbers “3” and “5” (305 is the area code for Miami, where FIU is located).
Players who wear socks/hosiery will wear white hose.
The school also supplied a few handy-dandy storytelling bits, which gives some closeups of the detail:
You can see more photos below:
I like these a lot — but then again, I’m strongly attracted to bright colors and pastels. I was also a pretty big fan of “Miami Vice” back when it originally aired, and for one Hallowe’en while away at college, I went as Don Johnson/Sonny Crockett, complete with white cotton suit and pastel muscle shirt. I think I may have reprised that look for curling, when we do our annual costume night. Different white cotton suit, much less hair, and no Ray Bans, but I was able to curl and pull it off!
The problem I foresee with these, unfortunately, is the numbers are probably going to be either very difficult to read, or completely illegible. The light blue with only pink drop shadow is definitely going to cause to visibility problems (as seen in the video and also in the outdoor boating shots, where it’s completely washed out by the sun). But other than that, I like these. I even like the palm tree pattern in the stripes!
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing these on the field, and I eagerly await the SMUW recap for this game.
What do you guys think?
Wow, I am actually the first person with a response? Maybe my fellow UW members are so aghast by this set that they’re left speechless, or they haven’t reached their morning breaks yet.
I’m far from Miami, and sorry Phil, I tried watching Miami Vice one time when I was 18 and it was a very slow-moving show. Maybe it was just that episode, who knows?
So I don’t feel like I can tear into this as much as I initially considered. I will just say that the lack of contrast in the numbers — as Phil already graciously pointed out — is going to be a nightmare for those in the press box. I do like the panther head in the 305 patch.
I will make a note to at least check in on this game and see how they hold up under the Tuesday night lights — hopefully better than I fear they won’t.
Looking back a Miami Vice (the show) now, yeah, it seems a bit boring, and a little trite, but it was also groundbreaking in many ways. I’m pretty sure we never ever had a show where the two leads (Crockett and Tubbs) were shown just driving a Ferrari for an entire four minute sequence, synched to “In The Air (Tonight)”.
Not saying that was good or bad, but it was groundbreaking. In a way, it changed the whole “detective show” genre, and a good number of TV/Movies today owe a lot to Miami Vice. Plus, back then, Don Johnson was cool as hell with the 3 day stubble, and wearing t-shirts under suits.
Ah…the 80s…
Also, you have to give the show bonus points for giving us the episode Viking Bikers from Hell. This aired in April 1987, where else on TV can you get as the bikers, Reb Brown “Blaster from Uncommon Valor”, “Sonny Landham from Predator” and ” NFL great John Matuszak” all in one action packed episode.
I find it amusing that Miami Vice would now be considered slow or boring given it was known for its MTV/music video quick cuts and editing. I was a huge fan of the show as a high school/college student in the 80s and I’ve been doing a slow rewatch of the series on Blu Ray. Visually, especially in terms of color scheme, the show remains gorgeous. Surprisingly, many of the areas of Miami they shot in featured dull buildings and it was the show that went about adding the colors we now associate with the show and the city of Miami. The first season has held up well and the scene set to In the Air Tonight you mention was pure tension as these two cops race off to the unknown and put their lives at risk. It’s quite amazing 40 years later this show that ran five seasons still influences the color schemes of college football, NBA and MiLB uniforms.
They’re actually using the Broadway font in some form. I wish the Heat had used it in some way with their Vice Night unis.
I want to hate these, as I don’t like the 80s aesthetic and I really hate shadowed numbers. Plus I don’t really like cross-branding.
But I’ve got to say these are really good. They’re just *fun*. I don’t think there are many schools or pro teams that could pull this off, but this one really works, much as it may pain me to say. ;)
Hey Phil, none of the images after the paragraph “The light blue panther head seen on the jersey, is featured on the right thigh, but on the pants it represents a “0” and is between the numbers “3” and “5” (305 is the area code for Miami, where FIU is located).” are displaying for me, no matter which browser I use (Safari and Chrome).
I’ve seen this issue on a few other posts since you took over… not sure what’s going on.
the numbers are
probablygoing to be either very difficult to read, or completely illegible.All they had to do was make the jersey numbers the same as the helmet numbers.
Geez I wonder if there are any other interesting aspects of Miami culture or geography or history worth noting, above and beyond a badly outdated detective drama that only lasted 5 years… 40 years ago.
Well, until some intrepid designer discovers some other source of south Florida inspiration, I will say that dated detective show has inspired some nice uniforms – these included.
Uniforms are neat, but “Vice” University? I know they’re leaning into Miami Vice, but putting vice in the context of college rather than law enforcement seems more akin to why they call Vegas “Sin City” and I’m not entirely sure that’s the image they want to project. Unless in not reading the story-telling part, I missed the part where FIU is a strong pipeline to the law enforcement field…
Reminds me of the scene in The Beverly Hillbillies when Granny didn’t want the title of Vice President for Clampco because of the term “vice.” Jed, ever helpful, got out a bottle of typewriter correction fluid and added a leg to the “V” on the office door. It read, “Nice President.”
Not sure how well they serve the dual aims of form and function but these are beautiful. And fun.
Setting aside the obvious link to Miami Vice (Broadway font), the color scheme is Miami, and predates (and outlived) the show.
The helmet is fine, but I think if all instances of pink and blue were swapped on the jersey, it would be a much better uniform.
That’s a really good callout. Would fix some of the contrast issues people are mentioning.
These unis make me want to dig out the PS2, stick in Vice City, and just cruise around.
link
What the hell was that NOISE in the 2nd half of the video?
Oh, and GET OFF MY LAWN!
Vice me? No, Vice U!
Hey Phil, I went as Crockett too! I believe the kids call the way I watched it ‘ironically’ now due to the amount of melodrama but to this day I can’t hear that song without thinking of Crockett and Tubbs and Edward James Olmos’ serious-as-a-heart-attack delivery. Loved it when Sonny called guys he didn’t like ‘pal’. BTW I agree that it’s a bit curious to rename your school Vice U.
Creating a uniform based off a TV show for a college team, can’t wait till Alabama tries this!
FIU is the only NCAA program to have an on-campus stadium in Miami-DADE county; they are not in the city of Miami, but in unincorporated Miami-Dade county.
I really like these uniforms, just a lot of fun. I think the only thing I’m not so sure about are the “Vice U” helmets, I dunno just seems a bit too goofy to me. That said the whole thing is goofy so who am I to say
Not a fan of the art deco font they used for Panthers on the back of the helmet. It’s fine on the side with the Vice mark but it feels like another font would have been better on the back. Doesn’t seem enough thought was put into the legibility on these and this is another example.
All the palm trees are giving me a “Golden Girls” vibe. I’m thinking (hoping?) the Miami Vice theme has run its course. Also, area codes on unis are just as bad as airport codes.
Those are fantastic.
That is all.
Obviously, the proliferation of alternate uniforms in CFB has gotten completely out of control, but these are a star shining in the firmament. A great design that would be ridiculous as a standard white set, but loaded with details that make it fun on a once or twice a year basis.
This idea seems pretty worn-out at this point. Once you’ve already seen several versions of it, the novelty element erodes and loses its ability to cloak the aesthetic and functional flaws in the design.