O’Neil’s Top 10: NESCAC Uniforms

Here it is, your fun blog of the week. While the rest of the NBN crew is busy writing about actual football news, my weekly blog is here to lighten the mood a bit. So, in honor of several team busting out new unis for week 1, I decided to rank the best uniforms in the league. This has been by far the most difficult list to compile because there aren’t any terrible uniforms in today’s NESCAC. The list takes into account a team’s home/away jersey, pants, helmet, and any alternate jerseys that they may sport.

10.) WILLIAMS

(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a whole lot to hate about the Williams unis, just not a lot to love either. The home purple jerseys are a much better look than the road whites, but the off-color shoulders are just brutal. I feel like the Ephs have had these for a while too…it’s definitely time for a change.

9.) MIDDLEBURY

(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midd is beginning to feel like JaMarcus Russell. They’re a team with so much potential, but I fear that just like JaMarcus Russell, they’re never gonna live up to the hype. Let’s start with the helmets, guys. When people see your headgear, they don’t think “Oh yeah that’s Middlebury!” they think, “Hmm, pretty cool alternates that Michigan is rocking today.” (I’d love to see the Panthers go with a navy helmet, white center stripe, and white “block M”). The jerseys themselves are ok (I actually like the traditional look), but they’re from an off-brand company. I think Middlebury could do wonders as the first Under Armour team in the league. But then again, all it will take is one endorsement deal with Ben & Jerry’s and their problems will be solved.

8.) COLBY

(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colby’s uniforms are alright. I’m a big fan of the striped silver pants and how they complement the silver helmet. The C on their helmets resembles that of the Cincinnati Reds, and is just crisp enough to work. Besides that, they’re pretty plain. Colby is another team that has had these same uniforms for what feels like an eternity. Just like Williams, I think the Mules deserve an upgrade.

7.) BATES

(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

bates-away

I sneaky love Bates’ uniforms. For starters, they make a huge statement as the only Adidas sponsored team in the league. With the high cut of the shoulders, the Bates players all give off that gritty blue collar vibe that football players in Maine strive for. The Bobcats have had this same look for years, but unlike Williams and Colby, I think they should roll with it. Bates is truly a smash-mouth team and I think these uniforms fit their persona perfectly.

6.) HAMILTON

(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton got a much needed facelift last season when they upgraded their uniform look. The Continentals new digs really play up the blue and white… and I mean REALLY play them up. It’s almost as if whoever designed these completely forgot that gold is also one of Hamilton’s colors. Regardless, I’m a big fan of the all-white road combination. What hurts Hamilton in the rankings is that at the end of the day, their uniforms are just a little too one-dimensional.

5.) BOWDOIN

(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

Bowdoin was another team that unveiled a brand new set of uniforms last season. The Polar Bears have three jerseys in their arsenal: home black, road white, and a gorgeous looking gray alternate. While the gray is my favorite of their jerseys, it’s only right to acknowledge that the team is making strides in the right direction. The thing that kills Bowdoin is their helmets. I appreciate the fact that they’re no longer trying to be Alabama…

bowdoin-uniformsbut their big play could be a black helmet with this logo of Patrick the Polar Bear on it.* bowdoin-logo

*I have no idea what the Bowdoin Polar Bear is named, but Patrick seemed fitting

4.) WESLEYAN

(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

I always thought to myself, If Wesleyan spent a little less time trying to abolish their fraternities and a little more time on their football uniforms, they could make some things happen.

Well, it looks like someone else had that brilliant idea because Wes just unveiled new unis for the 2016 season. While they’re a near carbon copy of their old uniforms, the Cardinals upgraded from an off-brand sponsor to Nike. Wesleyan is also one of the few teams in the league that goes with a matte helmet, a factor that really boosts their stock.

3.) TUFTS

(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
(Courtesy of Zach Thomas)
(Courtesy of Zach Thomas)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After last Saturday, the ‘Bos are sporting three different jerseys: home brown, away white, and an absolute fire steel gray alternate. In my opinion, Tufts has the best helmet (love the matte gray and enormous elephant), and best road (white) combination in the league. It’s tough to put the Jumbos at #3 because Tufts is quickly becoming the “Oregon” of the NESCAC, but their fatal flaw is the brown on gray combo that they wear at home. Not an ideal look, fellas.

2.) AMHERST

If we were ranking individual uniforms, this would be a unanimous #1 pick (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
If we were ranking individual uniforms, this would be a unanimous #1 pick (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

 

(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2012, Amherst was looking to move away from their apparel sponsorship with Adidas.

The early frontrunner? Polo Ralph Lauren.

I gotta hand it to Amherst – they stayed true to who they are in their search for a new sponsor, but things just don’t always work out like they’re supposed to – school officials unfortunately4 learned that Ralph Lauren did not make football uniforms. globo-gym 

As a result, Amherst was forced to settle for a deal with Nike. While they weren’t the initial choice, Nike has done a tremendous job with the Amherst uniforms. The team has an endless array of options when they take the field including a black alternate, my pick for the leagues best individual jersey. You can’t go wrong with the Globo Gym-esque color scheme either. All in all, the Amherst unies are tremendous.

1.) TRINITY

trinity-gold
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trinity…. It was a close race but for the second week in a row, the bantams finish at the top of my list. This is due in large part to the awesome three jersey combinations they go with and the fact that trinity dons last names on the backs of their jerseys. To top it off, the bantams opened the 2016 season with a banana-land move by adding a second helmet into their repertoire, a sleek white alternate helmet. Trinity has really been throwing down the gauntlet lately in terms of style and I’m eager to see what the uniform arms race has in store for the near future.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.