Maryland Football Uniforms 2011: Same Effect as Smurf Turf for Boise State?

Oregon has been the reigning uniform king of college football in recent years, but now it looks like the Ducks may have a challenger on their hands with Maryland and Under Armour all of a sudden deciding that the Terps’ uniforms need to be Pablo Picasso-style pieces of art.

One look at Maryland’s state flag-inspired uniforms from their Monday night meeting with Miami was enough to have sports fans from coast to coast weighing in with their opinion.

The reaction was almost overwhelmingly negative with people calling them eyesores and train wrecks, but maybe, just maybe, that was the plan all along.

Whether you love them or hate them, the point is, you had a feeling about them and that’s all that matters.

As the public relations folks like to say, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Under Armour designed a uniform that practically captured the entire sports world’s attention.

The company has a whole line of different style uniforms that Maryland will be displaying this season, and while you can criticize that for being a little too gimmicky, you do have to admit, that’s terrific marketing.

Having something that the college football public can identify with is never a bad thing.

Just ask Boise State.

Look at what Boise State’s blue turf did for their national popularity.

When it was first installed in 1986, people saw it and simply laughed at it, but soon enough, it became what fans around the country came to identify Boise State with.

Now it’s become one of the most recognizable and well-known features in college football.

Maryland can only hope that their uniform experiments can bring that same kind of national notoriety to their program.