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If you want to get people fired up, talk uniforms. Just about any fan out there has a strong opinion on what their team should or shouldn’t be wearing on Saturdays, and the Tennessee fanbase is no different.
The Vols made minor changes to their uniform combination after switching to Nike back in 2015. A new number font was added, along with a checkerboard pattern on the helmet and pant stripe. ‘Smokey grey’ alternates were also introduced, complete with a smokey mountain backdrop on the helmet.
Most of that mentioned above.... is now gone — reportedly.
Uniform guru Chad Fields reports that Tennessee will do away with the checkerboard stripe, going back to the traditional standard stripe on both the helmet and pants. Fields also mentions the potential return of black cleats.
BREAKING:
— Chad Fields (@CfieldsVFL) July 12, 2018
Sources have confirmed that @Vol_Football will be retiring the checkerboard stripe on the helmet and pants, and will instead have a single solid stripe. These uniform changes are added to the return of black cleats and the dropping of Smokey grey alternate. pic.twitter.com/lMtQRs4q7r
For what it’s worth, none of this has been confirmed elsewhere. The pictures taken on VolDay18 on Wednesday did feature the checkerboard stripe, as JT Shrout shows us.
GBO pic.twitter.com/YqNe1DsN5J
— JT Shrout (@JT_Shrout12) July 11, 2018
But as Fields explains below, Tennessee did something similar in 2015.
It was just photo day. They did that in the Adidas uniforms back in 2015 as well. But you also wearing white cleats in the photos yesterday as well. The new black cleats, decals and pants haven’t arrived yet
— Chad Fields (@CfieldsVFL) July 12, 2018
Uniforms don’t win football games at the end of the day, but people sure love to discuss them — right down to the smallest detail. What do you think about Tennessee’s potential new look?