STOVER | A simple solution
Central Michigan football will never have an iconic feel to its jersey, and that has to do with being a mid-major program.
But the jersey and apparel deal with Adidas - which is actually for all sports - made the necessary steps toward creating an identity to match the improving product that has been put on the field in recent years.
Michigan, USC, Penn State and Alabama have some of the best jerseys in all of sports. Each uniform is based on simplicity with no more than two primary colors to go with white.
Last year and in previous seasons, the New Balance branded attire the football team wore at Kelly/Shorts Stadium featured a maroon-based jersey that went straight into maroon pants. The numbers were white, and any trim on the sleeves or around the neck, along with the Flying C logo, was vegas gold.
The vegas gold was also the primary color in the third jersey that was introduced at the home game against Ball State that essentially decided the MAC West.
And that is where the problem lies. The teams - both collegiate and professional - that have the best jerseys do not need a third uniform. Frankly, they do not want a third uniform, because it would take a stab at the reputation of their more traditional uniforms.
In the professional ranks, the New York Yankees, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Cowboys are a few examples of simplistic jerseys that do the trick. And most of those teams, along with the collegiate teams previously mentioned, have had the same jersey since their existence.
But CMU took a giant step in the right direction with a more traditional-looking jersey.
Maroon is still the prominent color on the jersey, but the numbers were changed to a much bolder font and are gold. Not vegas gold either. Instead, the athletics deparment changed the gold color on every part of the jersey to more of a yellow gold, similar to the colors at Minnesota.
The numbers on the sleeves are also gold, but were lowered from atop the shoulder, to near the trim of the sleeve.
And now, the gold trim running down the jersey goes all the way to the pants, instead of ending near the chest.
Best of all, the pants were changed to gold, and that really emphasizes the importance of both school colors. Head coach Butch Jones has made mention to the "maroon and gold" from time to time, but by looking at least year's uniforms, it was clear gold was just an accent color.
Now, both colors are an essential part of the the uniform and the identity of the team.
The road uniforms (and pants) have yet to be released to the public. Obviously the jersey will be white, but the numbers and pants will be the key. In this case, it may be appropriate to use maroon more than gold, since white and gold are both lighter colors.
But regardless of what they do, it is clear the program has taken note of the better uniforms in sports.
Use both of your main colors and in most cases, stick with bold lettering. Futuristic design is not the answer.
Simplicity is the key.
sports@cm-life.com
