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Fashion Fades - Don’t Let Uniforms Sway Your College Choice

By Next College Student Athlete, 11/21/18, 12:00PM PST

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The look you like today might not even be around for your freshman year

Like the Lady Justice statue with her blindfold, you want to make a clear and impartial college decision based on the long-term investment in education.

It’s been more than a decade since the Oregon Ducks walked out onto the field one fall day and changed college uniforms forever. Since then, college teams in virtually all sports have under gone some dramatic makeovers to try and replicate Oregon’s popularity and success.

Now, schools throughout the country often use several different combinations of uniforms in one season, including all-black alternates and the occasional throwback jerseys. And it seems like there’s no end to the creativity as uniforms around the world continue to evolve, shape-shift, and morph into styles and designs players even a few years ago could have never imagined.

THE MOST STYLISH RECRUITING TOOL

In the all-important world of social media, colleges and coaches know the power of “sick” uniforms. It’s just a great way to draw attention to your school or program. Coaches know it adds to their appeal and it may start a conversation with an athlete that may not have happened otherwise.

All things being equal between two schools, an awesome uniform may give that coach an edge. However, even though every school and coach is proud of its colors, administrators and coaches at every one of them would tell you not to base your college decision solely on the looks of its uniform alone but rather on what that uniform represents.

KEEP YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH “UNIFORM BLIND”

Sometimes with college sports, it’s just love at first sight. Whether it’s the radical tire-tread design that once adorned Oregon’s jerseys, or maybe you’re more old-school, favoring the timeless look of Alabama’s Crimson Tide. The styles and endless variety are what help make college sports so great, but it can become an unnecessary distraction from your personal education goals.

That’s why wise student-athletes move uniforms out of the recruiting equation, or at least much further down the must-have list. Like the Lady Justice statue with her blindfold, you want to make a clear and impartial college decision based on the long-term investment in education.

GO FOR ACADEMICS NOT GAME-DAY ATTIRE

As a former college player, I’m more than a little envious of some of the amazing new gear that’s out there today. But as former student-athlete, I know in the grand scheme of things, you need to keep focused on your education.

It’s absolutely great if what first draws you to a certain school is what its athletes are wearing, you just have to do your research and find out if this school is the right academic fit for you. A good place to start is the 2018 NCSA Power Rankings that can help you find the best colleges for student-athletes by sport.

That means seeing if they offer your major and what type of academic assistance is available. You will also want to check on the graduation rate for athletes in your sport. For more on finding the right school, you can also read No Regrets: Picking the Right College.

FIND THE SCHOOL/CAMPUS THAT FITS YOUR LIFE NOT JUST YOUR STYLE

When you find a school that aligns with your academic goals, the next thing you want to confirm is that it is a place where you would be comfortable for the next four years. School visits are always a good way to “test drive” a campus and see if it feels right.

Size of the school is one of the first considerations. Big schools often offer more majors and a lot of different kinds of student activities. Small schools, on the other hand, may offer a specialty major, smaller classroom sizes and a greater sense of community within the school.

Location is also a key factor. Some athletes like the urban feel of a bigger city campus while others prefer more of remote location that’s free of distractions.

READ MORE: Check out Your Guide to Unofficial Visits

REMEMBER, FASHION FADES; COLLEGE GOES FOUR YEARS

Uniforms that used to change at a glacial pace with barely noticeable modifications every 10 years or so are now being re-invented almost every season. The look you like today might not even be around for your freshman year. And as you begin to weigh the different pro and cons of each school, remember that what you wear is not nearly as important as where you want to go with your life beyond sports.

ABOUT NEXT COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETE

NCSA is the world's largest and most successful collegiate athletic recruiting network. A wholly owned subsidiary of Reigning Champs LLC, NCSA's 700 teammates leverage exclusive data, proprietary matching algorithms and personal relationships built over nearly two decades as the industry leader to connect tens of thousands of college-bound student-athletes to more than 35,000 college coaches nationwide across 34 sports every year.

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