Back to the College Football Uniforms
Northwestern’s move to Under Armour has made for a smooth transition in the uniform department as the industry’s leading up-and-comer revamped the Wildcats’ purple and black to maximum potential in 2012.
The biggest surprise is Under Armour’s triple horizontal purple stripes that move seamlessly across the alternate black and road white tops, creating a wrapped look. The “Northwestern Stripe” will be incorporated into every team’s uniform throughout the school’s athletic department. Paired with Northwestern’s new matte black alternate helmet that includes an oversized Wildcat logo, the football team’s new all-black get up for home games is one of the cleanest looks in recent memory.
Northwestern’s current Under Armour set includes white, black and purple tops with white, black and purple pants. The “Northwestern” wordmark is prominently displayed above the triple stripe on the fronts of jerseys and “Wildcats” is sprayed across the nameplate on back. Under Armour tried incorporating Northwestern’s “gothic-style architecture and intricate stonework” throughout the uniform.
Baselayers, gloves and footwear all correspond to top and bottom combinations on gameday. The Wildcats have worn their current purple shell with a white stylized “N” since 1994. The facemasks were changed from purple to black the previous season. The last time Northwestern brought out white shells was in 1980 when a “CATS” script graphic highlighted in purple decorated the helmet.
Northwestern was an Adidas school before reaching a deal with Under Armour in 2011. The three stripes incorporated stunning all-royal purple alternates in recent years, but nothing compared to the collection of threads Under Armour developed for the Wildcats in Year 1.
