Alabama
You want to usher in a new era of Alabama football under the great Nick Saban? How about putting in Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback (and letting Jalen Hurts walk), and donning him in these slick duds. Between the “A” on the shoulders and the “BAMA” running down the left collarbone, it’s an excellent update to the classic uniform, and it would be the perfect uniform for the best quarterback Saban has ever had in Tuscaloosa.
Arizona State
This new Arizona State football uniform is fire. Literally. The “A” and “S” amidst the blazing inferno that encapsulates the whole uniform presents a scintillating look for the team that plays in the scorching valley of the sun. Under the new Herm Edwards era, now might be the best time to introduce this change. The question is, how would you know which player is which — especially potential Heisman Trophy candidate Manny Wilkins — since the jersey number is almost impossible to see?
Auburn
Another very sleek twist on a classic SEC uniform. While there is absolutely nothing that needs to be fixed, it’s hard to suggest they shouldn’t at least try out this new uniform. Imagine what it would have looked like to see Cam Newton running over defenses while wearing this uniform? The man put up 50 total touchdowns in one season at Auburn, en route to winning basically every postseason award there was, including the Heisman Trophy.
Baylor
This uniform would have been perfect for the days Robert Griffin III was running Art Briles’ high-octane offense, taking a Baylor University program that was perennially at the bottom of the Big 12 and making it one of the most entertaining teams in the conference. The Baylor logo on the chest is a nice touch, especially with the number still being clearly visible over the left thigh. In 2011, Griffin threw for 4,293 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns, while adding 699 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, helping him win the Heisman Trophy.
Boise State
Boise State University has never been afraid to “push the envelope” in ways that will bring more exposure to their highly underrated football program. So, having the silhouette of their Bronco mascot, with the number gracefully incorporated in the Bronco (and right over the heart of the player) is a nice look. For all the great collegians to play for Boise State, most people would recognize running back Jay Ajayi. As a junior, he was a third-team All-American for Boise State, and was eventually selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Florida
The University of Florida has always been one of the “brand name” football programs in college football, but one post game statement by future Heisman Trophy-winner Tim Tebow forever established the program in the minds of college football fans everywhere. After an early-season loss to Ole Miss in 2008, Tebow famously declared: “You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season, and you will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season, and you will never see a team play harder that we will the rest of the season.” Regardless of what uniform he’s wearing — including this one that encompasses a mural of the Florida Gator itself — that speech should make you want to run through a wall.
Florida State
Under the last few years of legendary head coach Bobby Bowden, the great Flordia State football program fell from the perch of prominence it once held year after year. But with the advent of head coach Jimbo Fisher, along with several star-studded recruiting classes, the Seminoles were once again the best in the nation. Those recruiting classes also included defensive back Jalen Ramsey, an eventual first-team All American and top-five draft pick by the NFL. Either one of these uniforms would do a good job showcasing the “swag” that Ramsey, Jameis Winston, and company brought to Tallahassee.
Georgia
Can you think of a school that’s had a better string of running backs than what we saw from the University of Georgia? Before Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and potential Heisman Trophy candidate D’Andre Swift, there was running back Todd Gurley. Gurley was a beast of a running back, combining the speed of a sprinter in a 230lb frame; trying to tackle him was like trying to take down a steaming locomotive. But any one of those running backs would’ve looked pretty awesome in this new Georgia uniform that gets it right: emphasizing the iconic “G” that’s the centerpiece of the uniform.
Miami
You could argue that the three-season stretch between 2000-2002 we saw from the Hurricanes of the University of Miami might have been the greatest collection of college football talent ever. Ironically, tight end Greg Olsen came after the great Hurricanes dynasty was over, but he might have become one of the most successful players in the NFL among those who are Miami alumni. Now, whether he — or anybody from “the U” — would have looked good in the art-deco inspired version of the Miami uniform is an entirely different matter.
Michigan
Let’s start with this: the concept uniform shown here does a great job remaining true to the iconic maize and blue color combination for the boys in Ann Arbor. The yellow across the upper chest and shoulder is a nice touch, mirroring the look of the helmet. With that being said, can we talk about the fact that there was a time when legendary head coach Lloyd Carr actually benched a kid named Tom Brady, for some hotshot prospect named Drew Henson? Yeah, you could say the football career for those two guys turned out rather differently.
Michigan State
First off: whoever was the photographer that took this image of former Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell hurdling a helpless defender deserves to win a Pulitzer Prize. The Spartans of Michigan State were clearly the inspiration for this uniform that pays homage to the movie “300,” which was about the great Spartan warriors at the battle of Thermopylae. However, the war cry of “THIS IS EAST LANSING” doesn’t really seem to have the same ring.
Notre Dame
Some people might consider it sacrilege to alter the hallowed blue and gold colors of the University of Notre Dame. But if you’re going to do so, the designers of this concept uniform did it rather well. The “Irish” across the chest, while incorporating the blue and white on the jersey while maintaining the gold helmet, is a good look. You know what’s not a good look? Being exposed on national television for having a fake girlfriend, as was the case with former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. He singlehandedly brought the word “catfishing” into the American lexicon.
Ohio State
We like the idea of featuring the “O” of “Ohio” right on the front of the uniform, and gracefully incorporating the Buckeye flower towards the bottom of it. However, even though the uniform number is over the right shoulder of each player, that “O” makes it look like every single player is wearing a jersey number of zero. That’s not how we would want to member former Buckeye studs like running back Ezekiel Elliott (an All-Pro with the Dallas Cowboys) and linebacker Ryan Shazier (making a a courageous recovery after a devastating injury to his spine).
Oregon
Leave it to Phil Knight, the head honcho and Chairman of Nike, to come up with even more outside-the-box ideas for the uniforms for his alma mater, the University of Oregon. Knight’s influence would be strong enough to where the Ducks would be the first team to try wearing a glow in the dark uniform, like the one featured here. Such a uniform would be in stark contrast to former Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 after leading Oregon to an appearance in the college football National Championship.