PARTIAL QUOTE OF BLOG:
Nebraska and Wisconsin appear to be separated at birth. Both teams are red and white. Both teams use a two-stripe motif. Both teams use white helmets with red facemasks. Both teams have put a patch on the left chest of their jerseys (the Badgers moved the patch to the left hip of the pants) and place the TV numbers on their sleeves, instead of the shoulders. The only noticeable differences between the two teams (in football) are the logos and helmet stripes. The two teams' “official" colors aren't the same (Nebraska is Scarlet & Cream, while the Badgers are Cardinal & White), but the application (and variation) of their colors make the two teams almost identical. I have two proposals for a solution to this conundrum: 1) Both teams change and consult each other to ensure each team emerges with a unique brand. 2) Play for it. In Nebraska's inaugural Big Ten season, they should play Wisconsin for the right to keep the uniforms, with the losing team making significant stylistic alterations. In addition, it would make a great start to an emerging rivalry. It could even be played at a neutral site, like Lambeau Field, not to mention the added stakes would certainly help draw a national television audience. Of course, this would have to happen at the end of the season, so the losing team could have enough time to make the uniform change.
“Playing for the uniforms" could also help historical powerhouses whose styles have been imitated. Michigan could play Delaware for the helmets, while USC could vanquish Iowa State from its look. This concept could also have helped Oklahoma keep Indiana from playing copycat a few years ago. And the SEC's Bulldogs and Tigers could play for the mascots.
This week's design concept takes the Nebraska Cornhuskers and strengthens their identity. I started with the colors, making Scarlet & Cream mean scarlet and cream. All of the white has been converted to the cream color, giving Nebraska a vintage, aged look. Keeping a modified form of the current primary logo, I removed all traces of the Huskers script, replacing the outdated font with a slab serif, giving the identity a tough, no-frills look to match the team's style of play. The secondary logo is based on the patch the team wears on its jerseys. The tertiary logo is based on a long-held Nebraska tradition: the “Blackshirts". Instead of using the skull-and-crossbones, I decided to work in a black ear of corn. The wordmark is a slightly tweaked version of one of their current versions.
