According to head coach Mike Woodson, Sunday afternoon’s 76-72 loss to Northwestern was the first and last time the Indiana men’s basketball program will wear its Fear of God alternate uniforms.
“I have no control over that,” Woodson said during his radio show on Monday. “You know, I’m about wearing our white uniforms at home like we’ve done for 40-something years since when I was here.
“But again, that was kind of out of my hands. We won’t wear that uniform again the rest of the season. I had nothing to do with it, and I’m the head coach, so…”
A collaboration between adidas and Fear of God, an influential American luxury fashion label founded by Jerry Lorenzo, the all-black uniforms are part of a contractual agreement with the apparel company but were not popular with fans.
They featured a crimson “Indiana” wordmark under the a large crimson number, both of which were rendered in Fear of God’s athletic typeface. There was also a tonal Hoosiers’ wordmark on the shorts and player-exclusive shoes to match.
“You know, adidas has been a good partner for us in the department, and from time to time, they do like to bring special products that they think will excite the players, excite recruits,” deputy athletic director Stephen Harper said on Woodson’s show.
“I meet with a lot of our recruits as they come in to tell them about the opportunities that we have in the department, and you’ll see a lot of our recruits wearing that brand, so I think it’s meaningful to them, even though it’s not meaningful to everyone else.”
Meanwhile, the Indiana women’s basketball team will wear the same uniforms during Thursday night’s game against Iowa (8 p.m. ET on Peacock). It’s doubtful we’ll see them beyond that, either, as Harper noted the department’s stance on traditional uniforms.
“Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Harper said. “We heard a lot from fans that didn’t necessarily love those, which we understand. We don’t plan on moving away from the traditional look of Indiana basketball, which – again – means a lot to all of us.”
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