Utah State Nike Uniforms: Breaking Down Aggies' New Pro Combat Unis

In an attempt to build its brand, Utah State unveiled a new uniform design for next season. The problem is that these uniforms are going to have a hard time building up the Aggies' brand when they look so much like in-state rival BYU's well-known jersey. 

Wade Denniston of HJ News offered up this quote from USU athletic director Scott Barnes on the purpose of the new look:

"

This branding initiative is another important step in growing our overall athletic program. Our new marks and branding program brings a crisp, modern clarity and consistency to our brand while honoring our rich history.

"

They definitely nailed the crisp look. Let's take a look at the jerseys and gauge how they did in accomplishing this. 

*All photos are courtesy of Nike Football, via Facebook.

Wow Factor: 3 out of 10

These uniforms are not going to wow anyone. As Denniston pointed out, the Aggies wanted a crisp look, and they got that. 

The new duds aren't busy enough to wow anyone. They're simple. I actually like that about them.

Teams have tended to push too hard for the wow factor, and Nike has been all too eager to aid them with that. 

Design: 7 out of 10

This design is wonderful in its simplicity. The away unis feature crisp block lettering that implies a no-nonsense approach to football. 

I also like the accent on the home jerseys along the neck line. With the lack of of eye-catching features on the rest of the jersey, this accent really pops.

All of that said, there just isn't enough to the design to give it more than a seven. Take the white away jerseys, for example. They are white and have the names of the university and player and the number on them. 

This doesn't take a creative mastermind was behind it. 

Overall Swag: 6 out of 10

As I mentioned above, these uniforms look too much like BYU's. And your swagger grade is going to suffer when it appears you are ripping off the most well-known uniform from your state.

To be fair, the uniforms have always looked similar. However, if you are going to update something, why not make a real effort to move away from that? 

The dynamic, dark helmet saves them. Now those things have some swag, and they also have their own identity. They should have brought that approach to the whole uniform.