Kicks

College basketball fans are united in hating the new adidas uniforms

Adidas rolled out new alternate uniforms for its NCAA partner schools and fans are not happy.

Pat Benson

Feb 8, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (5) dribbles against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Miami 88-78.
Feb 8, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (5) dribbles against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Miami 88-78. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
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No major sportswear brand is as bold with its footwear and apparel as adidas. Athletes and fans can always count on the Three Stripes to push the envelope with its designs.

Adidas also stays ahead of the curb with performance technology and design language. Even better, they always do a commendable job of celebrating sports history and culture (an integral part of what makes college athletics so important).

While adidas should be applauded for its effort, taking big swings can also lead to major misses. Currently, the brand is catching a lot of negative publicity from loyal fans about new alternate uniforms.

Every year, adidas rolls out new alternate college basketball uniforms for its flagship NCAA partner schools during the second half of the season. That is usually either a March Madness edition, Black History Month edition, or last year's dreadful Fear of God collaboration.

All college basketball fans can remember the woeful "Zubaz" March Madness editions from 2013. It is unrelated to the uniforms, but four of those six schools are no longer with adidas.

This year's Black History Month uniforms tell an awesome story, fitting with the minimalist design trends that are everywhere in sports now. Kaleb Henry of Cornhuskers On SI wrote a story that goes into more detail.

The uniforms feature the team's logo on the right front side of the chest, the number on the lower left side, and an incredible quilting design pattern going down the side.

The alternate uniforms pay tribute to Lusia Harris and Delta State University's 1970 jerseys. Harris was the only woman to be officially drafted by an NBA team. Among her many historic accomplishments, she led Delta State to three national titles.

While everyone can agree that Harris is a legend and worthy of all the praise, fanbases are not thrilled with the final outcome of the uniforms. In fact, they seem to be pretty united in detesting them.

A quick search of the phrase "adidas uniforms" on social media will result in viral posts from frustrated fans. The general consensus is the alternate uniforms are too boring, minimalist, and uninspired (which is a real shame given their awesome backstory).

Fans who actually like the uniforms can buy their team's alternate Black History Month jersey for $90 in adult sizes on the adidas website as well as select retailers.

According to the product description, the jerseys are "Inspired by the artistry, resilience, and cultural significance of quilting and the influence of community leaders, we Honor Black Excellence with these asymmetrical designs."

In addition to using recycled materials, the jerseys look visibly lightweight and breezy. Even if you are not playing basketball, they could be nice to wear around in the Spring and Summer.

Personally, I am a fan of the outrageous and loud uniform designs of the 1990s (think the Kentucky Wildcats' denim threads).

But this year's adidas alternate uniforms are kind of growing on me. If one of their teams makes a deep push into March Madness, I will probably end up growing attached to the threads. Who is with me?

If nothing else, we can all agree that adidas Basketball is crushing it in the performance footwear market with its signature sneaker lines that get worn by college basketball teams.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear and apparel news from the sports world and beyond.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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