Blazing a new uniform trail

Oregon and Nike announced a "pioneering" new set of uniforms to be worn this week versus Washington State.

According to the press release:

"Oregon is a state that has bred innovators, freethinkers and risk-takers since its founding. Nike co-founder Phil Knight is the quintessential example, starting a company by selling shoes out of a car trunk and turning it into a $30 billion powerhouse. Despite Nike’s impressive evolution, he and his wife, Penny, still refer to themselves as "just a couple of kids from Oregon."

Besides honoring such pioneers as Phil Knight they use imagery from exploration into the Oregon Territory:

"This maverick heritage is similarly embodied by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who introduced Oregon to the east in 1805, as a part of the Corps of Discovery commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. Aptly, the explorers serve as the key inspiration behind the new Oregon Pioneers football uniform, a freshly designed Nike Mach Speed uniform exclusively for the Ducks "

They go on to list the many subtle (at least for Oregon) features of the uniform, which you can read in full at GoDucks.com.

To me, this looks a lot like the various silver/white/gray ensembles that the Ducks have used when they've wanted to look special for big games like last year's National Championship or this year's Michigan State game (you can be the judge of how well that worked by looking at my post about the uniforms they ahem worn during losses)

The biggest takeaways from these artistically-produced (but kinda hard to see) photos is a white jersey with very subtle topographic map texture that is supposed to to evoke the exploring nature of the Oregon Trail etc. And a helmet that feels like it was designed by the same team that did the flying birds helmet at the Spring Game.

Having gotten a minor in geography at Oregon, I'm digging the idea of the map texture.

But the helmets take it from serious to just weird. Lewis, Clark ... and The Duck?

See more photos in the Go Ducks gallery

You have to assume that this was probably conceived and produced during the spring before the Ducks lost two games in September for the first time since the days of Lewis and Clark. Last week's bounce back uniform of "normal" yellow/white was a perfect way to quiet the doubters, but this announcement will most likely bring out the "it's a game, not a fashion show" crowd. Add that to the cool, but unpopular lack of school colors, and I can see this ending up being one of those awkward combos.