You can have brand consistency and still have the 89 uniforms as the current set. All using the updated block I. All the same shade of orange and navy (sad that wasn'tthe case before) use the font on the baseline, and all publications.
You can do those things, sure, but that's not brand consistency.
You can't have a totally different typeface on probably the single most-viewed iteration of your team name and have brand consistency.
Maybe it's worth chucking overboard, I dunno. Maybe we use the 89 throwbacks as our standard set for 3-4 years and then once we've had our fill we go for the rebranded version with the proper font.
What I ask is not some specific design or vibe or appeal to some specific generation of fans, what I ask is thoughtfulness and intentionality. We've never quite done that in my entire life as an Illini fan.