- Slug: Sports-ASU Uniforms,500
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By CUYLER MEADE
Cronkite News
BURBANK, Calif. – What’s in a uniform? Maybe, as Mike Bercovici hinted, a championship.
“It just feels fast,” the Arizona State University fifth-year quarterback said about the new-look Adidas uniforms introduced last week. “They feel like something you can win a championship in.”
After six years with Nike, the school changed its apparel contract to join with Adidas in a deal worth a reported $33.8 million.
The new look features glossier numbers and a faint tread pattern along with a larger pitchfork on the pants. The Sun Devil players are as excited about the look as they are about the feel of the gear.
“I love them,” said Sun Devils safety Jordan Simone. “I got a chance to wear them, put it on, try it out. They feel really good.”
Bercovici said the jerseys will have a tangible effect in more ways than one.
“I think it’s a huge recruiting tool for us,” Bercovici said. “Adidas did an incredible job creating a buzz for our program moving into this 2015 season, just kind of getting away from our old uniforms that we’ve had for the last four to five years.”
Coach Todd Graham is so enthused about the change he said he wants to “run out of the tunnel the first week” wearing the uniforms.
“I’m thinking about suiting up!” Graham joked.
Graham controls so many other aspects of his players’ appearance he wants to give them something in return.
“Here’s my deal. I let (the players) pick out whatever they want,” Graham said. “They get to pick what they want as long as they win.
“I remember being a player, and before every game, man, you walk into the mirror. You want to see if you look good. I think there’s something about looking good,” Graham said. “You know, we represent Sun Devil Nation. They need to like the uniforms. They need to like what we’re doing. Just because I’m some old guy who wore mesh jerseys my whole career doesn’t mean I should pick the uniform.
“That’s part of the reward for the sacrifices they make. Not wearing earrings, saying, ‘Yes sir, no sir,’ getting up at 5:30 every day.”
Graham grudgingly admitted the many uniform combinations for which the Sun Devils have become known in the last few years are a tool helpful in recruiting.
“Yeah, we do (use them), but that’s probably not why you ought to go to a place, because of the uniforms,” Graham said.
Graham confirmed the basic uniforms – maroon, white and black – are just the beginning of the options for the 2015 season.
“Adidas has done a great deal for us because they’ve allowed us to be creative, and we’re just getting started on that deal,” Graham said. “We’re doing a lot of neat stuff. We’re not done yet.”
Not everybody is a fan of the new look, however.
“I saw them yesterday,” University of Arizona senior safety David Richards said. “Not a big fan. They’re Adidas, we’re Nike, so I’m going to go the Nike route.”
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