Cole Tompkins said that it is fine to poke fun at TCU’s red accented uniforms in his Oct. 29 column “What’s worse: TCU or their uniforms,” but with this new Baylor brand deal, Baylor has no right to poke fun at TCU’s uniforms. While the TCU uniforms with the red accents were unusual, at least they have the freedom to wear different and fun uniforms each week. Baylor used to be like other college football programs with a wide array of uniform combinations. But now, Baylor only has one variation of uniforms in three different colors.
Last year, Baylor changed their logo and colors slightly to unite the university and athletics under one brand. Under this new contract with Nike, Baylor’s uniform choices are too restrictive, especially since our football team used to wear different variations of uniforms every week.
Baylor is not in a place to make fun of TCU’s uniform variations when our uniform options are as boring as they are. Especially when one of our three options is the ugly all-yellow uniform. If our football team was still looking as clean as they did in all their different uniforms in the past 10 years, then it would be more than OK to insult TCU’s red accents on their grey and purple uniforms.
The intent behind the three uniform choices is to make Baylor more identifiable and brand the university, but as a college football team, this is unnecessary and in turn does the opposite. With all the other football teams doing different variations of their uniforms and colors, Baylor is branded as the boring school with only a few uniforms.
People remember the different uniform variations; people will remember TCU’s red accents on their uniforms just as they remember Baylor’s standout uniforms over the past 10 years. Baylor has always looked clean in their variations, but some of the most notable variations have been the 2015 alternate grey uniforms, the 2018 white sailor bear helmet with green jerseys, the 2013 blackouts, and finally the 2011 green with gold helmets that RGIII sported.
Of course, I should mention that even though our uniforms are blander than seasons’ past, our record isn’t. The Bears are 8-0 and are ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 11 in the nation. But those red accents on TCU’s uniforms did get them a win over the Texas Longhorns.
Baylor fans: Don’t poke fun at TCU’s uniform variations until Baylor gets that freedom again, especially after TCU gets a win in their uniforms too.
Claire Rainey
Sophomore
Pre-Business major
