Arkansas Razorbacks Update Identity With New Logo, Unis

Another day, another school gets an update from Nike, and this time it’s the Arkansas Razorbacks, again. Nike’s brand update for the Hogs will result in Arkansas’ football team donning new football uniforms for the third straight season. After giving their uniforms a major update in 2012, the gradient numbers on those uniforms came under fire and were changed for the 2013 season, and the silver wordmarks below the collar were recolored to cardinal and white for each appropriate jersey. Now, the tweaks have given way to completely new uniforms, and a new logo as well.

The most striking thing about the uniforms is the fact that there is no black or silver in the uniform scheme: The home uniform is cardinal with white trim from head to toe, while the road uniform is white with cardinal trim from head to toe. Even the two helmets are only have two colors. Indeed, you could say that this is an extremely modernized update of the color motif that the Razorbacks wore back when Darren McFadden was busy rewriting the rushing record book for Arkansas.

In addition to the rest of the changes (which can be viewed here), the Razorbacks have adopted a new alternate logo that went on the center of the collar of the new football jerseys. The logo is a hog’s head facing straight forward as if it’s heading straight for you. While initial reaction towards the Hogs’ new uniforms are pretty positive, the reaction to the new logo hasn’t been all that positive. But hey, any publicity is good publicity, right?

Overall, it seems clear that the Razorbacks’ football program is trying to straddle the clearly defined fence between being too modern (with the striping designs) and retaining the traditional, classic look (with the simple colors) while also trying to add a new wrinkle to that tradition with the new logo. What do you think? Did Nike do a good job here, or is this another miss?