{"id":7864,"date":"2015-08-09T21:25:24","date_gmt":"2015-08-10T01:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7864"},"modified":"2015-08-09T21:25:24","modified_gmt":"2015-08-10T01:25:24","slug":"guest-post-obsessing-over-the-details-of-the-new-jmu-football-uniforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7864","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: Obsessing Over the Details of the new JMU Football Uniforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uniforms are a topic near and dear to our hearts. No detail is too small for us to discuss for hours over a few adult beverages. It turns out that at least 3 other people obsess over them like we do. Maybe more actually. Nick Phillips, Ryan Barto, and Sean Petrizzi broke down the new JMU football uniforms together and offered to share their thoughts with us on the blog. Let us know what you think in the comments. <\/em><\/p>\n

Our Take: The 2015 JMU Football Uniforms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, the dog days of summer are upon us. Sure, the NL East race is starting to heat up and Ronda Rousey is hotter than ever (see what we did there?..), but we can all agree that the daily coverage over the PSI of a football has officially run its course. And even though Fall camps are finally cranking up and a different hype video set to the \u201c300\u201d movie soundtrack drops every day, we\u2019re still a good month or so out from the college football season opener.<\/p>\n

So when JMU\u2019s new home uniforms were leaked on social media last week, it inevitably gave us football die-hards a talking point to get through another week. The three of us have discussed and here are our takeaways:<\/p>\n

\"15Uni.jpg\"<\/p>\n

1. Consistency<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the new home purples, it is refreshing to see that JMU tried to stay consistent with the black jerseys that were such a huge hit when they debuted at Homecoming last year. You\u2019ll notice that the \u201cMadison\u201d wordmark on the chest, the numbers font, and the block \u201cM\u201d shield on the collar are the same on both. And while we wish the shoulder sleeve stripes on each jersey were the same, we\u2019re willing to let this slide.<\/p>\n

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Instagram image courtesy of @zachjmu<\/p><\/div>\n

However, if you look closely (specifically at the collar) you\u2019ll notice that the jerseys are actually two completely different Nike templates. The black jersey is Nike\u2019s \u201cSpeed Machine\u201d template. Featured by the Flywire collar, this jersey was debuted by Oregon in the 2011 BCS National Championship and can be seen on Sundays by the majority of teams in the NFL. The new purple JMU design is actually Nike\u2019s \u201cMach Speed\u201d design, which eliminated the Flywire collar and was featured last year by Ohio State, Alabama, FSU, and Oregon in the CFB Playoff games.<\/p>\n

One of our major gripes with past years uniform sets is the fact that often times the Home, Away, and multiple alternate jerseys were all of different templates. We do acknowledge, however, that as a FCS school without the mega apparel contracts of FBS powerhouses, sometimes updating the team\u2019s look means only adding one new jersey each year. Now, what remains to be seen is whether or not last year\u2019s Away Whites and Alternate Golds will also get the Nike \u201cMach Speed\u201d update.. We sure hope so.<\/p>\n

We know our OCD is in full-effect here, but the attention to detail here is important when building the identity for a team\u2019s brand.<\/p>\n

2. Madison Overload<\/strong><\/p>\n

On one side, we like fact that the wordmark \u201cMadison\u201d is prominently stitched across the chest. Since the early 2000\u2019s, the team has worn \u201cMadison\u201d across its chest, which has allowed for consistency and has been great for branding over the last decade and a half. However, based on the image that was leaked, it appears that \u201cMadison\u201d is also featured not only on one, but both pant legs. Does this make or break the entire get-up? No, but just because you can put large text down each pant leg doesn\u2019t mean you should. We feel this screams \u201cFCS\u201d and resembles gaudy biker shorts more than football pants. Plus, for a school that very rarely refers to itself as \u201cMadison,\u201d it\u2019s interesting that the team favored the three \u201cMadison\u201d wordmarks over the nowhere-to-be-found \u201cJMU\u201d logo. More on that later\u2026<\/p>\n

3. What\u2019s with the block \u201cM\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The block \u201cM\u201d featured on the collar shield doesn\u2019t make a whole lot of sense. The shield itself is fine and mirrors the industry standard, but we are not Michigan. In none of the current JMU branding and logos is a block \u201cM\u201d ever featured, and this just seems to be another example of \u201cjust because you can doesn\u2019t me you should.\u201d This would have been a perfect spot to showcase the \u201cJMU\u201d logo or even the Duke Dog head logo (see TCU example).<\/p>\n

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4. Madison vs. JMU<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our university has a bit of an identity problem. As the athletic program has seemingly moved more towards the \u201cJMU\u201d wordmark logo, removing the Duke Dog from atop the letters, it is interesting that the school\u2019s most prominent and top revenue grossing sport is so keen on pushing \u201cMadison\u201d. When someone asks where you attended college, 99% of people respond with, \u201cJMU,\u201d with the occasional \u201cJames Madison\u201d if you live outside of the Mid-Atlantic.<\/p>\n

From a branding aspect, we\u2019ve always likened JMU to the LSUs, USCs, and TCUs of the world. How many times do you hear, \u201cI went to Louisiana State University?\u201d The truth is, we actually love the use of \u201cMadison.\u201d But since it carries little to no weight in the professional or athletic worlds, and none of the university\u2019s branding (outside of the football uniforms) is geared towards using it, why would we push it? Before taking that next big leap to the big boys, it is obvious the university needs to tighten up its branding.<\/p>\n

5. We get it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look, while we may favor the more traditional uniform looks, we fully understand why JMU has gone this direction with their uniforms. In order to appeal to the #Swag crowd and new recruits, it\u2019s more important than ever to make sure you\u2019re staying current with the latest styles and trends. Shoot, some recruits will choose a school based solely on their apparel sponsor and school colors. Chrome helmets, Pro Combat, 455 different uniform combinations\u2026we get it. And in all honesty, it\u2019s nice to see JMU outfitted in the latest and greatest \u201cMach Speed\u201d template this year (the first year it\u2019s officially available to schools) because it proves how seriously this coaching staff is about changing the culture of our football program.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d like to here y\u2019all\u2019s thoughts. Do you favor the \u201cPro Combat\u201d trends? Are we over-analyzing all this? Does anyone else even care?<\/p>\n