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Well folks, the 2011 College Football season has come to an end, and what better way to reminisce than to take a look back at some of the highlights, lowlights, and uniforms that, whether for better or worse, had the internet abuzz.

Foxsports.com has done me quite the favor by compiling a ton of imagery in slideshow form: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/lists/college-football-strange-2011-uniforms-090511#photo-title=How%20sweet%20are%20those?&photo=30519007 , but I'll be providing commentary about trends I've recognized in the market, what I feel may have a long shelf life, and some trends that need to be erased from our memories with the assistance of this little guy:

Now I'd like to remind you, this commentary is based on my own personal views and opinions. You are more than welcome to provide your own. At the end of the day, there are no right or wrong answers... it's all about matter of opinion.

Let's begin!

Relevant Trends

Including subtle patterns throughout uniforms is a great way to add value and brand equity into uniforms, by utilizing tonal prints on helmets, as well as sublimated patterns on jersey numbers. These are great "elemets of discovery" that are not immediately picked up on by the averge viewer, but can provide insight to a school's history, or amplify and enhance the spirit of the brand.

Remember, just because you CAN implement graphic elements that entrenched in the fibers of your school's DNA, it doesn't always mean that you SHOULD...

In Maryland's defense, they scored a major victory in my book, because regardless of what you thought about their uni kits... they still got your attention. Mission accomplished.

Helmet Designs

Obviously, a lot of emphasis is put on helmet designs. With so many different finishes, colors, patterns, decals, facemasks, etc., the possibilities are limitless! Let's take a look at how some schools have pushed creative boundaries this season!

The Good...:

The "I'll Give You an A for Effort"...:

and The "Yeeeeeah... I'm Good"

Also, there's a continuation of matte-finished helmets. I think it's a really cool look, and I hope it's here to stay. I don't know how much of a pain it is for equipment managers, but it's a good look, nonetheless. 

You stay classy, RGIII... See you in Cleveland.

Pro Combat

Nike's Pro Combat, for the most part, has been a rather successful program in the world of college football. The way it was introduced to the world of sports apparel took the indusrty by storm, but I'm starting to wonder if the program is starting to lose a little bit of it's lustre. Although adventurous, some of the looks I've seen this year are rather questionable. I would hate to see this program become kitsche and cliché, but let's be honest, it's a great way to generate revenue and it keeps the fans excited and in anticipation of seeing how apparel companies and schools will outdo themselves season after season. I can totally understand why someone would want to roll with this thing 'til the wheels fall off, but I could've totally done without some of these uni options this year:

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Retro uni's are are kind of a double-edged sword in the world of sports. In some instances, you find schools embracing the tried-and-true looks of eras past that resonate with fans of all ages and demographics (Good job, Notre Dame!)...

and sometimes ya just have to chalk some up as experiments, and keep it movin'... ( I would really love to get a Michigan fan's take on these uni's, because I'm totally clueless on how these are received.)

Stencils are a good look on uni's too, as you can see by this photo:

I think it's a logical choice to move forward with stencil numbers, especially if we decide to go further down the road with screen printed jerseys, but I'm a little more concerned with these if they're embroidered. I will say, with the technological advances in uniform construction, I'm sure all things are considered before giving stenciled applications the green light.

And I expect to see a lot more multi-option uniform kits. Some of my favorites this year were Arizona State and Oklahoma State. Who's gonna get it crackin' this year? Only time will tell.

Well folks, that's a minor recap of the year in College Football Uni design, and we haven't wasted any time getting underway with the 2012 year in design, seeing that Minnesota has stormed out of the gate with new uniform kits for this season last week!

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post?id=44095

And this is just January, people! Can't wait to see what the rest of 2012 has in store for us!

Later, y'all.

Baze

On a side note, want to take a little time to welcome my niece, Kristina Lynn Bazen into the world. She was born on Muhammad Ali's birthday, so I'm expecting great thing's from her! Uncle Kris loves ya!!!