1. Changes are subtle
In adidas' dream world, Nebraska would wear dra$tically different jer$ey$ every two year$.
"We tell them we're Nebraska," NU equipment manager Jay Terry said. "We're not going to switch up the look of our uniform."
There are minor changes from year to year. This year's uniform uses a lighter, stretchier material, with a different cut, making the numbers on the sleeves appear higher on the shoulder pads. The adidas logo is now front and center, so as to make room for bowl patches to the side.
The stripes on the sleeves are now part of the material. Last year, they were screen-printed, and after a couple of times through the wash, had a yellowish color to them. The uniform manufacturer allowed Terry to send back some uniforms to have the stripes replaced.
2. Players don't mind change
Days after Boise State and Virginia Tech wore special Nike Pro Combat Uniforms, players started approaching Terry. "I was bombarded with ‘When are we going to get to do that?'"
Nebraska, of course, isn't partnered with Nike, but Terry expects adidas to do something similar to Nike to keep pace with its rival. "They both feed off of each other," Terry said. "It's a big business."
Would Nebraska agree to wear zany uniforms if approached by adidas? That's up to Tom Osborne, Terry said.
3. One-color looks are trouble
For one, Nebraska hasn't performed well in all-red (Oklahoma, 1986) or all-white (Georgia Tech, 1991; Iowa State and Washington, 1992; Colorado, 2007).
Also, matching red jerseys with red pants is not easy, Terry said. Especially when the pants are shiny and the jerseys aren't.
How about an all-black look?
"I'd probably put on a (bullet-proof) vest when I walked out on the field if that happened," Terry said.
4. They take a beating
Ricky Henry has black smudges on the shoulder of his game jersey. Terry said it's the rubber from the coating on the facemasks of Idaho players.
"That's really hard to get out," he said. "Just the friction melts it in there."
Terry also has a local seamstress patch holes and fix tears. Linemen are especially hard on uniforms. Terry orders two sets of jerseys for all offensive and defensive linemen at the beginning of the year, leaving one set blank of names and numbers, then has the seamstress sew those in as necessary.
5. Fans care
Terry received an e-mail this summer from a fan opposed to the team's black socks. A fan also mailed Bo Pelini a package of white socks, along with pictures showing past teams wearing them, and told the coach he could find enough pairs at Wal-Mart.
"A couple of years ago I wanted to bring back the long, red socks," Terry said. "I got outvoted on that."
In the end, Terry just puts out what he's told to put out. Many decisions, like the color of socks, come from the Unity Council.
"No matter what we do, there are going to be people who have their own opinions, and that's kind of the fun of Nebraska football," Terry said. "Everybody feels they're invested somehow."