Orange get new uniforms

Nike released new uniforms Monday morning in New York City for the nine programs that won NCAA National Championships with Nike gear. The Syracuse University men’s basketball team was among these schools selected to wear the new uniform, which was unveiled as part of the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum Series. The Orange will don the uniforms when they host USF on Feb. 22, 2012.

In addition to Syracuse, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Connecticut were chosen, as well as the Baylor and Connecticut women's team.

According to Nike, the Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms are designed to be an intersection of sustainability and performance. Using laser perforations in the shorts, Nike says they have increased breathability as well as created a lightweight design. Both the shorts and jersey are five percent lighter than the previous Nike Hyper Elite uniform, Nike said. A bonded hem detailing on the shorts and the bonded back seam near the neckline of the jersey have also enhanced both comfort and style, according to Nike.

Not only are the new uniforms lightweight and breathable, but they are also designed for lower environment impact. According to Nike, the shorts are made from 100 percent recycled polyester and the jersey fabric is made from at least 96 percent recycled polyester.

“Nike is committed to producing top-of-the-line performance attire with reduced sacrifice to the environment,” said Phil Cook, Nike’s Brand Manager for Basketball. “With our Nike Hyper Elite Platinum design, Nike is maintaining its long-standing obligations to our fans to not only produce the best on-court looks but also a design that makes use of the resources we already have.”

For all of the uniforms, the dominant color is a silver-gray, a very atypical choice considering the majority of schools that will be wearing the uniforms have no gray in their school colors. However, Syracuse will still have orange in their uniforms, it just won’t be as prominent as usual. The numbers and school name are outlined by orange, and the sides of the jersey and shorts are orange. Also, a large watermark “S” is visible on the back of the jersey.

While the new uniforms are very stylish and sleek, the fact that they focus more on the gray than any other color will have Syracuse fans a little disappointed.  Either way, all of the programs participating will only wear the new uniforms for one game this season.

More pictures of the uniforms can be found here.