Illini Basketball Uniforms

#251      
Fighter of the Nightman
Here's your recent "vibes check" for each uniform.

Orange Flyin' Illini
W 78-72 at Maryland
L 70-84 vs. #3 Michigan
---> Give these ones a rest, haha...

White Script
W 80-54 vs. Oregon
W 71-51 vs. Indiana
---> Got some good juju goin'...

Orange Script
L 94-95 in OT at UCLA
L 82-85 in OT at #10 Michigan State
---> Don't wear these if we think OT is a possibility!

Navy Flyin' Illini
W 101-65 at USC
W 78-69 at #5 Nebraska
---> Have won four straight in these since the UConn loss in November.
---> WEAR THESE!

I think it's safe to say this team is not that superstitious, haha.

Dominate USC in the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms?
---> Put them back in the closet and wear Orange Script at UCLA to get a second straight OT loss in this set.
---> Don't wear the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms again (hopefully we are saving them for the postseason!).

Get blown out vs. Michigan in the Orange Flyin' Illini uniforms?
---> Wear them in our next road game.

But if they are superstitious? The Navy Flyin' Illini (4-game winning streak) and the White Script (6-game winning streak) are the only uniforms that haven't seen a loss in 2026.
 
#252      
PizzaHutParkingLot
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Here's your recent "vibes check" for each uniform.

Orange Flyin' Illini
W 78-72 at Maryland
L 70-84 vs. #3 Michigan
---> Give these ones a rest, haha...

White Script
W 80-54 vs. Oregon
W 71-51 vs. Indiana
---> Got some good juju goin'...

Orange Script
L 94-95 in OT at UCLA
L 82-85 in OT at #10 Michigan State
---> Don't wear these if we think OT is a possibility!

Navy Flyin' Illini
W 101-65 at USC
W 78-69 at #5 Nebraska
---> Have won four straight in these since the UConn loss in November.
---> WEAR THESE!

I think it's safe to say this team is not that superstitious, haha.

Dominate USC in the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms?
---> Put them back in the closet and wear Orange Script at UCLA to get a second straight OT loss in this set.
---> Don't wear the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms again (hopefully we are saving them for the postseason!).

Get blown out vs. Michigan in the Orange Flyin' Illini uniforms?
---> Wear them in our next road game.

But if they are superstitious? The Navy Flyin' Illini (4-game winning streak) and the White Script (6-game winning streak) are the only uniforms that haven't seen a loss in 2026.
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Scared Kermit The Frog GIF

Down for anything as long as we don't see 1ll1nois for the rest of the season

(Commenting before someone says, but we made the Elite 8 in those! :rolleyes:)
 
#253      
Fighter of the Nightman
PizzaHutParkingLot said:
Scared Kermit The Frog GIF

Down for anything as long as we don't see 1ll1nois for the rest of the season

(Commenting before someone says, but we made the Elite 8 in those! :rolleyes:)
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Haha, pretty easy rebuttal is that they were worn in what I imagine is the first-ever 30-0 run we've ever given up as a program... They also were worn during some really disappointing losses since that Elite Eight run, and yet last year's team just kept clinging to them for some inexplicable reason. These were all last year...

White 1LL1NO1S
L 71-90 vs. Maryland

Orange 1LL1NO1S
L 74-80 at Nebraska (season high 17 turnovers...)
L 74-95 at Wisconsin
L 65-88 vs. Maryland in BTT (also season high 17 turnovers...)
L 75-84 vs. Kentucky in Second Round (the final dud of last year)

I'm with you ... bury 'em already, there shouldn't even be any left in any DIA facility at this point! :ROFLMAO:
 
#257      
dcenters33
Todd99 said:
I’m always in for the navy’s but still holding out hope we’ll get a white Fighting Illini or a navy script dropped just for March Madness! I know I’m getting greedy but can’t help it 😆
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While I don't think we'll see them this year, I'm confident that next year we will get all three colors in the script and/or the Flying Illini sets. A lot of Nike schools are going to their throwbacks full time, such as MIZNOZ, Syracuse, and a couple other schools I can't remember. Seems to be the trend moving forward. Wouldn't be surprised to see them do both since they're both so popular amongst the players and fans. Hopefully we can finally lay the 1LL1NO1S set to rest, they will not be missed.
 
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#258      
Fighter of the Nightman
dcenters33 said:
While I don't think we'll see them this year, I'm confident that next year we will get all three colors in the script and/or the Flying Illini sets. A lot of Nike schools are going to their throwbacks full time, such as MIZNOZ, Syracuse, and a couple other schools I can't remember. Seems to be the trend moving forward. Wouldn't be surprised to see them do both since they're both so popular amongst the players and fans. Hopefully we can finally lay the 1LL1NO1S set to rest, they will not be missed.
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Yeah, what troubles me is why the 1LL1NO1S uniforms even made any appearances past the reveal of Orange Script and Navy Flyin' Illini. You'd think if we were retiring them, there would be no purpose in throwing them a bone every several games. The only optimistic theory I can come up with is that we have worn 1LL1NO1S uniforms exactly twice since the new year - at home vs. Minnesota and at home vs. Wisconsin, both times wearing the white 1LL1NO1S set. Given we only have one white throwback (White Script), it could have been just a logistical thing, and the White 1LL1NO1S wouldn't have made an appearance if we already had a White Flyin' Illini to work into the rotation.

On a side note, I do think it's worth noting that we have never seemed to have two navy options in the recent era, and that could be a limitation thing.

Groce Era
Regular White
Regular Orange
Regular Navy
White Flyin' Illini Throwback

Early Underwood Era
White 1LLN1O1S
Orange 1LL1NO1S
Navy F1GHT1NG 1LL1N1
Orange Flyin' Illini Throwback

~2020 to Early This Year
White 1LLN1O1S
Orange 1LL1NO1S
Navy F1GHT1NG 1LL1N1 (not utilized at all in 2025)
Orange Flyin' Illini Throwback
White Script Throwback

Current 2026 Lineup
White 1LLN1O1S (worn twice since January 1)
Orange 1LLN1O1S (not worn since November 24 ... hopefully retired)
[Assuming Navy F1GHT1NG 1LL1N1 is retired]
Orange Flyin' Illini Throwback
White Script Throwback
Orange Script Throwback (introduced on November 22)
Navy Flyin' Illini Throwback (introduced on November 28)


So until this year, it seems like we always had a white, orange and navy of a "regular set" and then 1-2 throwbacks ... and the throwbacks were always orange or white until the Navy Flyin' Illini were introduced this year. However, it's worth noting that the Navy F1GHT1NG 1LL1N1 uniforms haven't been worn in over two years now, so I feel like they are pretty much considered replaced by the Navy Flyin' Illini set. My dream scenario is obviously three colors each in Script and Flyin' Illini. However, I see the most likely scenario being that we get two white, two orange and one navy, with the thinking being that the last color will statistically be worn the least often. Since we already have two orange in both styles and our one navy, I think a White Flyin' Illini would be the most likely addition next year rather than Navy Script, though I'm hoping for both!

Speaking of the White Flyin' Illini uniform, I am really dying to see how slick it would look "cleaned up" to match the current orange and navy styles. At least from my POV looking at the pictures below, the White Flyin' Illini jersey we had during the Groce Era had noticeably bulkier lettering than the trimmed down versions we got with the orange and white ones.

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Look specifically at the orange outline on Leron's navy lettering vs. Kylan's white lettering in the first and third picture ... the latter is so much more subtle. I would love to see a fresh version of the whites with slightly smaller letters, a more subtle outline, altered spacing, etc.
 
#259      
altgeld88
Fighter of the Nightman said:
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FWIW on the way out of the Maryland game Sunday heading to the parking garage I ran into an Illini fan rockin' a Kendall Gill #13 Block FI white jersey but with the orange lettering and blue outline that the uniforms used until the mid-'80s. (It was somewhat jarring because Kendall never wore this version of the uniform.)

If we do get the white Block FI jerseys again, I favor that early-'80s version. Straight 🔥 I have a jersey photo at home but not here at work I can post. Here's a blurry team photo:

1773243994507.png
 
#260      
Fighter of the Nightman
^ I was joking with my wife the other day that I could honestly be SO easily swayed either way on some of these font decisions of which color should be the main font and which should be the outline. In general, I would say:

White Script = DEFINITELY the way it is (navy font/orange outline)
Orange Script = probably the way it is (navy font/white outline), but I think the inverse (white font/navy outline) would also look great
Navy Script = lean toward orange font/white outline just to keep the pattern with the others, but I do wonder if white font/orange outline would look even better

White Fylin' Illini = totally torn ... could be swayed either way between navy font/orange outline (like the Groce Era throwback) or the orange font/navy outline version you posted
Orange Flyin' Illini = pretty definitively in favor of what we have (white font/orange outline)
Navy Flyin' Illini = was originally in favor of orange font/white outline, but the current set (white font/orange outline) looks so damn good

We are lucky to have amazing uniform templates with which to work, and I am glad the DIA/Nike seem to finally realize that!!
 
#261      
altgeld88
altgeld88 said:
FWIW on the way out of the Maryland game Sunday heading to the parking garage I ran into an Illini fan rockin' a Kendall Gill #13 Block FI white jersey but with the orange lettering and blue outline that the uniforms used until the mid-'80s. (It was somewhat jarring because Kendall never wore this version of the uniform.)

If we do get the white Block FI jerseys again, I favor that early-'80s version. Straight 🔥 I have a jersey photo at home but not here at work I can post. Here's a blurry team photo:

View attachment 48175
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EDIT: here we go.... my contemporary Doug Altenberger:

1773244888867.png
 
#264      
IlliniCaboose
The compression sleeve on the knee and taped up hand/wrist, Altenberger looks like he’s been through a battle!

These injuries would probably sideline the current generation of players for 2-3 games. 😂
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I'm pretty sure the hand is just a light reflection. Common amongst us melanin deficient folks.
 
#265      
Fighter of the Nightman
Hoping the near monolithic use of the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms in our social media posts about the Big Dance means we are rolling with those. They haven't seen a loss since UConn, and they haven't seen the light of day since we absolutely throttled USC in them ... inexcusible!

Whoever decides what we wear needs to ditch this ridiculous idea that we need to "switch it up" all the time. The higher seed gets to pick its uniform, and the other team simply has to deal with it ... that puts us in the clear for the First Round and Second Round. If we faced Houston in the Sweet Sixteen, they would wear white or red ... so we are good for the Sweet Sixteen. If we faced Florida in the Elite Eight or another higher-seeded team in the Final Four, it's very likely they would choose to wear their whites, so we would be good again.

WEAR. THE. NAVY. EVERY. GAME!
 
#266      
PizzaHutParkingLot
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Hoping the near monolithic use of the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms in our social media posts about the Big Dance means we are rolling with those. They haven't seen a loss since UConn, and they haven't seen the light of day since we absolutely throttled USC in them ... inexcusible!

Whoever decides what we wear needs to ditch this ridiculous idea that we need to "switch it up" all the time. The higher seed gets to pick its uniform, and the other team simply has to deal with it ... that puts us in the clear for the First Round and Second Round. If we faced Houston in the Sweet Sixteen, they would wear white or red ... so we are good for the Sweet Sixteen. If we faced Florida in the Elite Eight or another higher-seeded team in the Final Four, it's very likely they would choose to wear their whites, so we would be good again.

WEAR. THE. NAVY. EVERY. GAME!
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Womens Soccer GIF by Navy Athletics
 
#267      
21ChampaignSt
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Hoping the near monolithic use of the Navy Flyin' Illini uniforms in our social media posts about the Big Dance means we are rolling with those. They haven't seen a loss since UConn, and they haven't seen the light of day since we absolutely throttled USC in them ... inexcusible!

Whoever decides what we wear needs to ditch this ridiculous idea that we need to "switch it up" all the time. The higher seed gets to pick its uniform, and the other team simply has to deal with it ... that puts us in the clear for the First Round and Second Round. If we faced Houston in the Sweet Sixteen, they would wear white or red ... so we are good for the Sweet Sixteen. If we faced Florida in the Elite Eight or another higher-seeded team in the Final Four, it's very likely they would choose to wear their whites, so we would be good again.

WEAR. THE. NAVY. EVERY. GAME!
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Don't worry, we'll wear them in the Natty.

https://www.illinoisloyalty.com/post/illini-basketball-uniforms.40440/post-2336407
 
#271      
Pweezy
What's the best spot to buy jerseys? The NIL shop doesn't have the correct collars, which I find frustrating
 
#273      
Pweezy
If you can wait 2 months..

Supermanjersey.com or dhgate.com
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How is the quality/accuracy? I don't mind paying more, but if the NIL ones are going to be inaccurate, then that's a problem lol
 
#274      
altgeld88
Todd99 said:
And in somewhat head scratching news

View attachment 48426
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Oh, yeah. Love that. BAM grooving to end-stage, early-1985 WHAM! as he jacks up pregame Js. This explains his velvety inside game. Although his confrontation with Boyd after the Wisconsin tip last Friday carried a Metallica Some Kind of Monster vibe.

And speaking of Boyd: lol; enjoy watching from the sidelines, flopper!
 
#275      
IlliniCaboose
I've gotten a couple from a site called Malcolm Terry. Seems a bit sketchy but it's worked out for me. Takes about a month though.
 
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