Not every program has an unforgettable color scheme that can create unique and memorable apparel, but those that do have an excellent opportunity to give themselves something extra to make them stand out. These are four college lacrosse programs that don’t necessarily have a bad look but aren’t quite realizing their full potentials.
Albany
The Great Danes have one of the best color combinations in all of college lacrosse. The program’s signature purple and gold were cemented in history as the Thompson brothers put the program on the map with their unique style of play and record-setting seasons. The solid purple jersey became instantly recognizable for this flashy young team as not many programs in the country utilize a purple color scheme.
The team’s current set of jerseys don’t seem to be utilizing the program’s phenomenal color scheme to its fullest potential. For a program to be this recognizable, it is a shame it doesn’t have a unique set of uniforms to match its potential. Even the helmets leave something to be desired as they have ditched the matte gray look and have settled on a purple and white helmet with very basic decals. The team’s current identity isn’t awful by any stretch, but I would love to see more creativity and utilization of the team’s dominant color scheme.
Ohio State
While Albany is a recognizable team in college lacrosse, THE Ohio State University is instantly recognizable nationwide. This Big Ten program has found success over the past few seasons and consistently thrown in a new uniform combination every year. The Buckeye helmets always hit the nail on the head, utilizing the classic Buckeye stripe and throwing in a twist with matte gray, chrome, or even matte black. There is nothing about the helmets that should change, but the jerseys are another story.
The team’s primary uniforms have remained the same since 2016 with a few minor tweaks here and there. While the jerseys are not bad overall, I don’t feel they live up to THE Ohio State standard. They feel very outdated, especially when compared to other jerseys within the conference. The best jersey the team currently wears is its port-hole retro look it brought out against Maryland. This jersey is instantly recognizable as an Ohio State team and is arguably one of the team’s simplest jerseys. I would love to see the team rock this look more than once a year as I think it stands on its own against even the most iconic jerseys in college lacrosse.
Syracuse
While this is a controversial team to include on this list, I can certainly explain myself. Syracuse implemented its sleeveless jerseys all the way back in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since. At the time, sleeveless jerseys were a new concept, and it was very exciting for one of the best programs in the country to utilize this very new and modern look. Fast forward to 2021, and it seems like Syracuse hasn’t caught up with the times. The switch from Cascade helmets to STX was expected but wasn’t necessarily the right decision. Year after year, Syracuse unveiled a new Cascade helmet that became an instant classic. While the STX Rival is flashy at times, they don’t consistently hit the nail on the head like Cascade helmets.
This program has one of the best color schemes in the nation, and that has been represented well due to the team’s numerous uniform combinations. While that has worked with the Orange’s current set of jerseys in the past, I would make the argument they have the least-desired jerseys in the ACC. Virginia and North Carolina release new jerseys every year that break the internet, and it’s a shame that Syracuse hasn’t been able to do the same. The program should switch out the numbers, bring back the sleeves, and have all of its jerseys be interchangeable with one another to keep weekly gameday apparel feeling new.
Oregon
I’ve never understood the hype around Oregon lacrosse equipment. The University of Oregon gained its reputation and respect through the uniform department. One of the best things about Oregon athletics is that every piece of equipment is interchangeable with another. This is done well with the football team as every week it feels like you’re watching a completely new team while still remaining very Oregon in the process. I understand that NCAA Division I football is on another level compared to MCLA lacrosse, but there is a very simple way of achieving this same status.
Other college lacrosse programs in the country have found a way to mix and match different jerseys and equipment pieces while still making it feel like a cohesive look, such as Maryland, Duke, and Syracuse, just to name a few. While the Ducks’ current uniform sets work well in specific combinations, they are missing that combination element, which is what Oregon is known for. The team currently has an all-yellow set, which is nice on its own, but it can only be worn in the all-yellow set. The Ducks currently have a phenomenal green jersey and white shorts combination, but they do not have a way to mix that with the yellow without looking unnatural. I love this team’s current uniforms on their own, but the University of Oregon is known for its creativity when it comes to uniform combinations, and the lacrosse program is currently missing this element.
