Illini Basketball Uniforms

Status
Not open for further replies.
#26      
Illini IndyCar Fan
OrangeBlue98 said:
This would also help explain why we don't see a lot of script Illinois gear in particular and why Nike's licensed gear is the slanted font. Bummer if that's the case, and perhaps Nike doesn't think they'd be able to sell enough to justify buying the licensing for the scripts from Original Retro.
Click to expand...
Original Retro is Campus Ink, which is a local Champaign based company that runs the NIL Store and is one of (if not) the biggest NIL player apparel companies. They focus on player NIL stuff and not generic college merch/non-NIL jerseys.

The way a lot of the generic school merch works is that it's custom ordered by retailers. Nike makes some basics - usually using the same templates and just changing the color and logo for all of their college programs - to sell through their own distribution channel and the national type retailers (Kohls, Dick's, Fanatics, etc). Then school-focused stores like GameDay Spirit, Rallyhouse will order custom stuff directly from suppliers using their license and Nike blank stock, or buy pre-approved templated merch from the same suppliers, which is why you'll see a lot of the same things at Gameday and Rallyhouse.

But again, it's mostly based on the retailers and how much effort each point in the distribution chain puts into it. A good example of this is how the Kansas based Rallyhouse has the official merch store contract with both KU and Kansas State. They carry 18(!!!) different Nike mens' quarterzips for KSU, which is great if you want to match what Jerome Tang is wearing each game when watching Coleman play for the Wildcats this year.

It appears Gameday just isn't sourcing good Nike stuff (not big enough to have relationships with all the 3rd party suppliers? focusing more on expanding than on hiring good buyers? Higher profit margins on high priced Tommy Bahama and Johnnie-O than Nike?) and Rallyhouse is too new in the market to put a focus on Illini things like they do with their contracted schools. Maybe Rallyhouse will outbid Gameday the next time the official merch store contract is up and we'll get a better selection of Nike gear. It is weird that Gameday sourced Nike blanks for the NIL jerseys they sell, but don't use Nike quarterzip blanks like Rallyhouse does for KSU and their other schools.

I do know Campus Ink will make custom gear for UI greek orgs and others, so I wonder if they'd be able to make custom one-off quarterzips if you walk in to their shop?
 
Last edited:
#27      
OrangeBlue98
Ridiculously off topic, but if USC's basketball coaches can wear polos with the "Fight on/Victory" signal, can we get golf shirts with a logo of Bielema (or at least a generic outline or him) giving the "T" signal to the South Carolina sideline?? :ROFLMAO:
 
#28      
Ryllini
I will fight all of you, but I'd love to see some powder blues with orange and blue highlights. I'd only want to see it once or twice a year and with either script Illinois or Illini or block fighting illini.
 
#29      
chiefini
Ryllini said:
I will fight all of you, but I'd love to see some powder blues with orange and blue highlights. I'd only want to see it once or twice a year and with either script Illinois or Illini or block fighting illini.
Click to expand...
@Ryllini I don’t want to fight you physically, but I will argue with you until eternity that Illinois using powder blue in a uniform is an awful idea. Having attended the NC vs North Carolina game, my instant thought of all powder blue uniforms is that disappointing loss. Besides the fact that powder blue is not one of the University of Illinois’ colors, it is instantly identified in all realms of college basketball with North Carolina. Orange and Blue. Not Orange and powder blue. The end.
 
#30      
21ChampaignSt
chiefini said:
@Ryllini I don’t want to fight you physically, but I will argue with you until eternity that Illinois using powder blue in a uniform is an awful idea. Having attended the NC vs North Carolina game, my instant thought of all powder blue uniforms is that disappointing loss. Besides the fact that powder blue is not one of the University of Illinois’ colors, it is instantly identified in all realms of college basketball with North Carolina. Orange and Blue. Not Orange and powder blue. The end.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I hate powder blue. Especially right now since the previous owners of my house painted the entire basement that color for some unimaginable reason. I'm currently in the process of fixing that.


1000006982.jpg


(I will concede the baseball jerseys do look slick)
 
#31      
pruman91
chiefini said:
@Ryllini I don’t want to fight you physically, but I will argue with you until eternity that Illinois using powder blue in a uniform is an awful idea. Having attended the NC vs North Carolina game, my instant thought of all powder blue uniforms is that disappointing loss. Besides the fact that powder blue is not one of the University of Illinois’ colors, it is instantly identified in all realms of college basketball with North Carolina. Orange and Blue. Not Orange and powder blue. The end.
Click to expand...
tenor (37).gif


tenor (30).gif


you go girl...........!!!!!!!!
 
#32      
OrangeBlue98
Ryllini said:
I will fight all of you, but I'd love to see some powder blues with orange and blue highlights. I'd only want to see it once or twice a year and with either script Illinois or Illini or block fighting illini.
Click to expand...
To be completely honest, I put powder blue in the same category as black. If it’s not in your primary color combination, don’t use it. That includes baseball uniforms (unless it’s a throwback like the 1980s era St. Louis Cardinals uniforms).
 
#33      
skyIdub
Yeah powder blue doesn't really have a place here.

With that being said....😝....I am a bit of a car guy and both the interior of my second child and my garage floor pay homage to the 917 LeMans race car in the Gulf livery. The ford GT40 also sported this in 1969. (among a host of other cars over the years)

It's my absolute favorite race car livery and I love the combination...just not for Illinois sports. The only shoulder shrug exception being the baseball examples for Sunday games only.🤷‍♂️

original3.jpeg

3678A057-151F-4E56-A2F1-9A4D2F8124DD.b8cf3669.jpeg
 
#34      
the juiceman cometh
skyIdub said:
Yeah powder blue doesn't really have a place here.

With that being said....😝....I am a bit of a car guy and both the interior of my second child and my garage floor pay homage to the 917 LeMans race car in the Gulf livery. The ford GT40 also sported this in 1969. (among a host of other cars over the years)

It's my absolute favorite race car livery and I love the combination...just not for Illinois sports. The only shoulder shrug exception being the baseball examples for Sunday games only.🤷‍♂️

original3.jpeg

3678A057-151F-4E56-A2F1-9A4D2F8124DD.b8cf3669.jpeg
Click to expand...
I feel like powder blue has its own history in baseball uniforms generally that makes it ok in that context. And yeah, the Gulf Oil livery is a classic.
 
#35      
Ryllini
skyIdub said:
Yeah powder blue doesn't really have a place here.

With that being said....😝....I am a bit of a car guy and both the interior of my second child and my garage floor pay homage to the 917 LeMans race car in the Gulf livery. The ford GT40 also sported this in 1969. (among a host of other cars over the years)

It's my absolute favorite race car livery and I love the combination...just not for Illinois sports. The only shoulder shrug exception being the baseball examples for Sunday games only.🤷‍♂️

original3.jpeg

3678A057-151F-4E56-A2F1-9A4D2F8124DD.b8cf3669.jpeg
Click to expand...
Those baseball uniforms are smooth. I think you are all nuts. 🤣🤣
 
#37      
chiefini
Ryllini said:
Those baseball uniforms are smooth. I think you are all nuts. 🤣🤣
Click to expand...
@Ryllini , You must be a young’un who doesn't have the historical context of Illini nightmare games that influence your perception/opinion. Hopefully, you will not have any impactful negative memories that will get you to that spot that some of us old geezers have…
 
#38      
Ryllini
chiefini said:
@Ryllini , You must be a young’un who doesn't have the historical context of Illini nightmare games that influence your perception/opinion. Hopefully, you will not have any impactful negative memories that will get you to that spot that some of us old geezers have…
Click to expand...
I’m a product of the early 80’s. I’ve witnessed enough to understand. I just want to see it once a season, early season. I love when my STL Cards break them out for Saturday road games.

Also, since you have me remembering things. Say back in the early 90’s and maybe late 80’s, didn’t we used to have European Select teams or And1 all-star teams come in for exhibitions.
 
#39      
chiefini
Ryllini said:
I’m a product of the early 80’s. I’ve witnessed enough to understand. I just want to see it once a season, early season. I love when my STL Cards break them out for Saturday road games.

Also, since you have me remembering things. Say back in the early 90’s and maybe late 80’s, didn’t we used to have European Select teams or And1 all-star teams come in for exhibitions.
Click to expand...
I’m am old fart, and I don’t have any memory of playing European or All-Star teams. I do know in the fall of 1988 (with the ‘89 Final Four team) my husband and I put on an Orange and Blue scrimmage in Rockford with the help of our Rockford Illini Club at the Jefferson High School gym where I taught with a principal and an AD who were also Illini. It was a ton of work, but we had a sold out, standing room only (over the fire code) gym of 3,200 rabid fans watching. The team wore those uniforms with the Chief on the side of the shorts. Coach Lou was just an awesome human being, and we had a blast. That was our first glimpse of how great that team was going to be. Ahhhh memories…
:chief: :illinois: :chief:
 
Last edited:
#40      
IlliniTSM
skyIdub said:
Yeah powder blue doesn't really have a place here.

With that being said....😝....I am a bit of a car guy and both the interior of my second child and my garage floor pay homage to the 917 LeMans race car in the Gulf livery. The ford GT40 also sported this in 1969. (among a host of other cars over the years)

It's my absolute favorite race car livery and I love the combination...just not for Illinois sports. The only shoulder shrug exception being the baseball examples for Sunday games only.🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Love the 917 and the paint scheme, but I’m still trying to figure out how you got the interior of your child painted powder blue and orange.
 
#43      
Ryllini
Not a big hockey guy, but again it is sharp for a 1 off from time to time. I’d wear that shirt.
IMG_1117.jpeg
 
#47      
Fighter of the Nightman
Yeah, count me out on the powder blues ... not that it couldn't look really good in theory, I just like that we don't mess around with randomly black, light blue, gray, etc. uniforms anymore. As a school with two REAL primary colors (i.e., one isn't an accent like white/gray/black), I think all of our uniforms should feature both colors prominently. That is what I hate most about our default uniforms right now, where we have plain white/orange font on a plain orange/white jersey and no outline. It doesn't feature enough navy accent, and it looks too much like our colors are orange and white at times.

Besides, echoing an earlier comment, I guess I subconsciously thought that the powder blue baseball jerseys were at least SOMEWHAT of a nod to the fact that the southern half of our state is decidedly Cardinals fans.
 
#49      
Fighter of the Nightman
FWIW, the uniform breakdown so far this year for anyone else who cares, lol.

White Script Throwbacks
vs. Little Rock
vs. #1 Tennessee
vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

Orange Flyin’ Illini Throwbacks
vs. #19 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
at Northwestern
at #9 Oregon

Regular White
vs. SIU-Edwardsville
vs. Oakland
vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
vs. #20 Wisconsin
vs. Chicago State

Regular Orange
vs. Eastern Illinois
vs. #9 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
at Washington

That’s 6 regular and 8 throwbacks … starting to think the trap we are in with Nike is to wear their shltty default uniforms at least ONE more game than we don’t. 🤣 Gonna guess we see two defaults this week.
 
#50      
IlliniCaboose
The Illinois NIL store shows a custom jersey but when you click on it it's just a Ty jersey with a click down menu with players who are either walk ons or guys who no longer play for us. Does anyone know of a place to get a custom jersey? Preferably either an orange Flyin Illini throwback or a 2005 replica? I've seen a few sites but they all look like scams.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back