When the Oregon Ducks defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in last week's Rose Bowl, they looked less like football players and more like comic book superheroes, sporting mirrored "special edition" helmets that had never been worn before.
In fact, the Ducks haven't worn the same exact uniform for two games in a row since 2004.
Portland-based Nike has outfitted the Ducks since 1996. "We're getting lighter weight," said designer Todd van Horne. "We've got stretch panels through here. It's completely 360 degree materials, zone ventilation through a lot of it."
The changes, he says, are all in the service of performance, such as the shoulder's "wings": "Durability, yeah, it protects from, you know, the hits from other helmets or chin straps or, you know, faceguards that would actually nick the material itself. So it makes it stronger."
But this is about more than functionality.
This regular season alone, the Ducks wore eight different jerseys, six pants, five helmets and four different shoe and sock colors . . . a staggering number of possible combinations.
In August 2011 the University of Maryland terrapins displayed their new uniform designs. (Credit: Facebook) ESPN'S Paul Lukas, founder of uni-watch.com, says college football uniforms have been changing ever since colleges have played football, but that over the last decade, Oregon "has really pioneered the idea that nothing is out of bounds . . . 'we can push the envelope'"
In the beginning uniforms were made of wool and had long sleeves. And helmets?
"There were no helmets in the beginning - the players just played bare-headed," said Lukas. "Some players used a little device that strapped around their head and just covered their nose. That was the first face mask."
As for why today's players now wear their jerseys skin-tight . . .
"It's really about this hand-to-hand combat," said Lukas. "Anything hand-to-hand, you don't want those hands to be grabbing anything."
The Ducks have turned the gridiron into a catwalk . . . and other schools are following suit.
The Maryland Terrapins were cheered - and jeered - when they debuted their "Maryland Pride" uniforms, taking the state's flag and wrapping the players in it.
"The biggest thing is, you know, people are talking about Maryland, and they're talking about the uniforms. And anytime anybody's talking about you, it's all good," said coach Randy Edsall.
If you think these uniforms are a little too fashion-forward, don't tell Edsall.
"Would you ever think of sending the offensive line up to Fashion Week in New York?" asked Rocca.
"With our uniforms? Oh, most definitely. They'd be the hit, seeing the big guys walking out there with those uniforms? When we had our show here, the runway, those guys were a hit!"
(Credit: University of Maryland) Yes, the Maryland players had a runway show featuring this season's collection!
And this year, even tradition-bound Notre Dame succumbed to the pressure t flash up their look.
We wondered if other squads should change up their look. So we brought in Barney's creative director Simon Doonan for some fashion advice.
