Washington State athletic director Bill Moos took the stage on Monday night at the Davenport Hotel and worked the room, building the suspense for the Cougars' brand new Nike designed uniforms. Moos said the decision to go with Nike across the board, and create a true uniform look for every sport, was about establishing an identity. Right now, teams have a variety of fonts, numbers and colors, making it hard to build a brand. It even trickles down to letterhead and business cards, which will all feature the same colors and designs.
It's about looking good, feeling good and playing well, Moos said, and the new uniforms are a piece of the puzzle for the Washington State athletic department. Moos described the sizzle and the steak, saying the new uniforms, alumni events and gameday activities are all part of the sizzle. As the steak, the on-field product, cooks, the sizzle will build the excitement and it all started on Monday in Spokane.
So Moos set about to create a standard crimson and return gray to an actual gray, not a shade of silver. It's not maroon, not an odd shade of red, but what he calls a true Cougar crimson. And after extensive work with Nike, Moos and company figured out how to create a standard coloring system across the board, no matter the uniform line or sport.
The uniforms honor the past, live in the present and create the future, Moos said. It's about keeping the tradition, including the Cougar head, while updating the look and feel of the uniforms to give the athletes that sizzle factor, enticing 17-year-olds to come to Washington State while paying homage to the legends of the past.
In the end, the new branding is all about creating a product that can be marketed. In addition to the new uniforms, Washington State will have an 18-wheeler that serves as a rolling billboard while also carrying football equipment to away games. And yes, Moos said, that includes a bowl game, drawing a round of applause.
I know you want the pictures instead of a report on the event, so head past the jump. All photos via the WSU Cougars Twitter account.
First up, the total package. Here is the entire lineup.
Here's Jared Karstetter in the new crimson. You'll notice the gray is much different than the past and the crimson has a nice feel.
And here we have Jeff Tuel in the all-gray alternates. The charcoal stands out on the pants (not seen) and the shoulder striping. And the helmet? Well that's just amazing.
And the full range of football uniforms.
I know I should get that excited about this, but HOLY EQUIPMENT TRUCK WE GOT A REAL TOY!
There you have it. Grady will have a more extensive post in the morning, but these are exciting new uniforms. Job well done by Moos and Nike.