Utah Utes football: Utes to get new uniforms

Utah football is getting a uniform makeover — and a major one at that.

The Utes are making the supplier switch from Nike to UnderArmour in a multiyear deal that may be announced as early as today. The football-only agreement could be in the neighborhood of an eight-year, $4.1 million pact the company signed with Hawaii last month.

University of Utah officials and football coach Kyle Whittingham declined to comment on the matter, however, pending finalization of the deal.

Utah will be the seventh football program to affiliate with UnderArmour, joining Auburn, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Hawaii and South Florida.

The new uniforms, which the Utes will debut Aug. 30 at Michigan, feature a single curved stripe on each shoulder with "UTAH" emblazoned across the front and the Utes' drum and feather logo on the pants. The new uniforms will feature the school colors of crimson and white. The combinations, such as mixing and matching the jerseys and pants, will be determined later by the team's leadership council.

Rumors are circulating about an alternate black jersey as well.

Computerized displays of the jerseys obtained by the Deseret Morning News are believed to reveal the finished product for next season. The look can be tweaked a bit for future campaigns.

Utah's helmets — with its candy red finish — come from a different supplier and will remain unchanged.

After winning the Fiesta Bowl in January 2005, the Utes changed their Nike uniform design to something similar to what the Miami Hurricanes were wearing. They've stayed that way for the past three seasons.

The new UnderArmour design also includes a change in fabrics.

In a press release announcing its recent deal with Hawaii, UnderArmour describes itself as "a leading developer, marketer and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories. The brand's moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products."

The company has also said that it's gear is "engineered to wick moisture away from the skin, enabling players to feel drier, lighter and more comfortable."

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E-mail: dirk@desnews.com