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SU football had a big announcement to make yesterday and really gave no advance notice on what it would be, other than the fact that it would be made at 2:45 pm at Destiny USA mall. A few hours later, we know now that the Orange unveiled a new set of uniforms and announced a home-and-home series with LSU.
The LSU series is nothing but good for the Orange. Almost as important as anything, the first game of the series is in the Carrier Dome, and not MetLife Stadium. As great as the MetLife games are for the growth and marketing of the program, it is important to see that the program has such status that a team like LSU will come up to the Dome for a September game.
Next, it’s LSU; no doubt the Tigers, led by great coach Les Miles, will come to the Dome in the Top 25. This creates a matchup that will likely get picked up in a good time slot by ESPN or ABC and give the Orange great exposure.
Lastly, there are no losses in this for the Orange. If you think that it is bad because the Tigers could wipe the Carrier Dome turf with SU, why is that so terrible? The Orange would not be expected to keep up with the Tigers, a perennial top 25 team from the best conference in the country. And if the Orange win? It is one of the best upset wins the Orange have in a while, perhaps dating back to the win over West Virginia three years ago.
And now, for the new uniforms. They are ugly. Everyone already knew they were coming, especially after the new helmet was unveiled last season. But really, the glaring omission from the fashion show at Destiny USA was an orange jersey top. Now, before comments with complaints about poor play while past teams wore orange, the team is still called the Syracuse Orange, right? So, why is it that there is no football uniform with the primary color being orange? It seems only natural to have one. No chance SU should go back to orange-on-orange, but an orange jersey with blue pants would look nice and put Syracuse back in orange.
The numbers looked a little scary, especially the fours on the 44 jerseys. As SU alum Seth Everett tweeted earlier, ‚ÄúThe¬†‚Ä™@CuseFootball¬†uniforms are change simply for change’s sake.‚Äù
And that is really the best way to describe the uniform changes. Syracuse watched as teams went from the traditional two-uniform wardrobe to having three, four or even more combinatinos to wear over the course of the season. It wanted to change to be a part of the flashier jersey movement, even if only to recruit.
With two announcements that were already reported well before the announcement of the big announcement at Destiny USA, it brings up real question: Why was this a huge announcement made a Destiny USA?
Both announcements, while important, were also expected, and could have just as well been made at Manley or even in the Dome. I understand the influence they have for the football program and for recruiting, but neither necessitated a press conference at Destiny USA. It just doesn’t make much sense to do what the Athletic Department did. The announcement could have been made with a very nice fashion show including Charley Loeb and Jerome Smith in the football wing of Manley Fieldhouse, where media festivities moved after the press conference at Destiny USA.
The big takeaway? Both the new jerseys and a home-and-home with a major title contender could lure more recruits to the Hill. Let’s see if it pays off.
Posted by: Seth Goldberg 
20 responses to “Syracuse Football Officially Debuts New Uniforms, LSU Series: What You Need to Know”
@Seth Goldberg;
I agree with all that you said about the Syracuse vs LSU game. The biggest and most important thing about the series is that LSU comes to the dome in 2015. Exciting and at the same time kills a lot of people complaing about big time programs not wanting to come to the dome to play.
GO CUSE;
Not crazy at all about the new UNI’s!! They just don’t look bulky enough and to spaceman like. But we’ll see during a game like atmosphere!! But the helmets are cool!
DO NOT FORGET THE KIODS OF PSABUSEDU!! THE NCAA DID!!
I can only hope that by the time LSU comes to the Dome Shafer has a team ready to compete at that level so that the oddsmakers don’t list us as a 21point dog. Getting high impact recruits THIS YEAR for the 2015 signings going to be critical for the program.you just know that George McDonald is going to use this game as a tool to induce players to sign with the Orange This incoming class of freshmen will be seasoned and ready to contribute heavily by then so its a good start.
I saw Illini’s new uni’s same colors but appeared better looking to me…i guess it depends on tastes?
Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and PennState are some teams that stick to traditional uniforms and don’t have problems recruiting. Let’s be clear I don’t mind the new helmets and uni’s but is it a tool for recruiting? not really. A lot of other things are far and away more important in the recruiting process. Only school that may benefit from different jersey schemes is Oregon but if you look at their old uniforms the only place to go was up. They also had a hip new offenses, won games and had a fun coach. So you can’t single the uniforms out as a “factor” maybe small…very small
Well at least will get to see what d-1 players should look like when LSU rolls into town. I could say SU has a chance but that be a lie. Can only hope to fight to keep it close and avoid another embarrassment like at FSU when their players took up more interest in hangman then counting to beat SU over the head.
So this is what I understand of some of this.
1) What we think about the uniforms doesn’t matter. I don’t fully agree, but I guess I understand the stance. Lets hope it boosts something with recruiting. Probably coincidence, but we also got our first commit yesterday, and he’s from Long Island.
2) There is or will be an orange set as well, and the idea is to allow a mix and match. I personally hope we see the orange hat, blue shirt, orange pants combo we all nostalgically long for.
3)LSU. I think its great. I hope this is a new trend, because with the descriptive reasons behind the uniform design, I think I am finally starting to understand some of the anti-MetLife sentiment. That said, I have already heard complaints about it, so Ron it does nothing to quell the complaints. Syracuse seems to just be a town full of complainers.
I don’t like the uniform design, especially the numbers. I don’t like the BS Nike is feeding as to why this is a Syracuse relevent design. 44 degree angle on the striping? Gothic skyscrapers from NYC… and the campus? VERY thin justification for an ugly “font” design. I think they are a bit too unadorned. The shade of orange is getting very close to red. I think the anodized orange is pretty blah. They ARE changes for the sake of change, and I would be OK with that, but they are also ugly and I am not good with that.
Also, get the phrase right! The collar says “Lock the Gate” The quote is “Lock the Doors” and I would even be OK with “Lock the Dome”.
Agree Russ, I liked the Illinois unis too, but they are definitly more plain or ordinary, so maybe we are too old and playing it safe.
Fsu just changed the Seminole head and the designs of the uniforms and ppl are freaking out about it down here as well. I guess it universal that ppl don’t like the changes that Nike is doing.
The reason the announcement took place at the carousel is that they also introduced cuse ticketmaster machines much like ATMs where u can buy a ticket for the game at the mall then just head right over to the dome right from there no worries. It really is a good idea! As far as new jeserys go I’m 19 yrs old and most of my friends agree the new jeserys are nice it’s a generations thing and I honk the trying to more appeal to teenagers then 50 year old men lol
Well “Zjs315” that’s an honest statement from a 19 year old kid.
but let me ask,other than the students and the football players that attend and play the games. How many in attendance outside of the student section do think are 19 or younger? Do you attend any of the games? If you do,then take a good hard look at the age group that’s spending their money to be there week in and week out to watch them play.
You called it a generational thing and your right. It’s all of those 50 + year old men and women that support the football team. When I attend a game I notice a someone bringing his wife and children to the games,that’s how future generations of fans are built/made. That’s how I got my sons involved and are now working on my grandchildren becoming Syracuse Fans. The new uniforms just don’t do anything for me. Just remember,it’s all about the money that the athletic dept gets for selling it’s soul. I really can’t blame for raising money any way they can,I mean after all I haven’t noticed the dome filled for a game in years. Take it from somone who’s been a fan for 50 longer than you’ve been alive.
Nice response w/o sarcasm Ron…kids don’t realise that most of the support comes from the boomer generation!Keep in touch Ron when u have a minute.
RON RON RON remember no matter what we think the UNI’s are for the players not us old farts. The kid is right most youngsters like them!! And they should!! And we just don’t care for them. Loose and we’ll hate them more and win and they’ll being selling like hot cakes to old and the YOUNG!! I know my grand kids will want them-ugh!! But they are not what I expected at all. The numbers are the worse part for me. These UNI’s just have that slimmer look to them. I’d like a stocking like look UNI myself!! But hell I’m out in the north forty of life in some pasture some where!! But change the numbers they are awful!!
@Terry,Terry,Terry;
I guess I didn’t make my point quite clear enough. The younger generation loves the UNI’s,that’s fine. I don’t and that’s fine with me also. The point I was trying to make Terry was,I just don’t see those uniforms pulling in a mass crowd of 17-25 year old kids to watch the Orange play football. It’s the older group of folks that support Syracuse Athletics.
The younger generation is so into doing drugs getting high and wearing their pant’s below their buttocks trying to show their stuff to a young female/male who might think it sexy. That’s the style and stuff that most of the younger generation is into these days Terry. Attending a Syracuse Football Game cost money and 3 1/2-4 hours of their time. No matter what the uniforms look like,it’s just not going to work with them.
Hahahaha ha I attend as many games as I can it’s not that easy these days fer us then it was fer u secondly the problem with the program all of of u ignorant people that’s the most ignorant thing iv ever heard u should feel like an idiot u fail to relize that my generation is the ones ur watching out there on the field my generation when were actually done with coege remember and have steady jobs we will be he ones filling the seats that’s who these uniforms are trying to attract not u bitter crab god I couldn’t imagine going to a game with u ur prolly one of the losers that left early during the bc game hahaha pathetic maybe if more people like u were more positive minded more people would want to attend these games
@Zjscuse;
Just to let you know young man,I’ve never ever left a game early. I watched Terrel Hunt walk the team down field for the go ahead score by throwing to the TE Josh Parrish on the left side of the field and having him scamper in for the score with
approximately 6-10 seconds left in the game. Try something else,you failed miserably in your attemp to get an ignorant old man like me upset.
Nice try though.
Zjscuse,
I think a prerequisite of getting into college is the ability to spell college. Just saying….
@Carlton;
I really tried being nice in my response to Zjscuse. I didn’t bring up the point of his spelling or his grammar in his previous post.
I guess instead of paying attention in English classes and learning how to spell he was off doing something else instead of studing. Usually when someone starts to throw insults out to people I like to answer them with insults,in this case he only has to read his own words to find that he lacks what it takes to get the message out.
Example;”with u ur prolly one”. Is he really trying to say “you your probably one”?
I’ll leave the kid alone. I did go to the spring football game today and I was totally impressed. I’ve completely changed my mind on the Uniforms. When you see them on the players in real time they do look pretty damn awesome.
Ron the UNI’s are for the players and really no one else.
Ron zjscuse is just one of those texting kind that of people that use the text wording or short wording at times. I text with many young folk and even their words are short or not what I suspected, but they correct me and after a while its just a culture thing!! Believe you me their college papers DO NOT use texting type of words!! But with zjscuse I’m not so sure???LOL!!
The helmets are a homerun. Love them all.