USL JERSEYS 2015 SEASON

switchbacks fc released one of their kits

 

Supposedly the Riverhounds were going to do a re-brand next season but the bankruptcy stuff has been really holding everything up. I could see them sticking with their current kit design one more year.

 

How much of a rebrand? Colors? Logo? New moniker? I've actually always liked their branding, either red or blue, except for that time they tried to cram their logo into a seal---kind of triangularish, IIRC. However, if an investor were to ever try and create an MLS expansion, I don't think "Riverhounds" would be the name.

I love the switchbacks jersey. Especially the numbering. Also, it looks like they revised their logo. Looking good down in southern Colorado..

 

nope same logo

 

From what I understand they want to officially go to black and gold as their primary colors and come up with a crest instead of the dog head. I also heard rumors of alternating the name to something more "traditional" (e.g. Pittsburgh SC or whatever) and making "Riverhounds" the nickname. No matter what they do they can't go too far from the Riverhounds name since the seats at Highmark spell Hounds.

It would also be nice if they went with a jersey that wasn't so template-y but who knows.

 

This is just speculation, but is this an image of the home jersey of St Louis FC? If so, not bad.

 

Looking at it again, I agree on the mismatch, at least regarding the numbers not being red or blue.

 

Still not quite sure why St Louis went with Blue and Green. Seems like a really difficult color scheme to work with

 

The numbers are going to be illegible from the grandstands (dark number on dark jersey).

 

Template-y is all that's left in soccer jerseys. Kits ceased being about the club and began being about the supplier long ago. American sports (especially college) are in the beginning of the same downward spiral.

 

That's the truth...unless a club is able to go with some off-brand (Admiral, for example). And, even then, those brands don't have the capacity to be creative for all the clubs they sign.

For college soccer, all you get is the templates. Sucks.

 

NCAA uniform rules don't help with the aesthetics there, either.

 

Mainly for adidas it is an issue. Any other brand should have no problems getting around any NCAA uniform rules. They are pretty easy to deal with.

 

Love how not all the uniform numbers are the same size.

 

In Dec. 2012 Nike made the brand switch from Umbro to Nike in its partnership with USL. http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/683032.html (prior to that Nike owned Umbro).

My understanding is that Nike sponsors the league, but each team can pick its own Jersey company.

Two Major questions:
1) How long is the contract with Nike?
2) With a growing partnership with MLS and MLS teams, (who are all Adidas), how will this impact the USL and its teams?

side note: I've noticed new teams that are owned by MLS clubs are all adidas and have strong branding links between USL & MLS jerseys. Harrisburg and Philly seem to be on a slower long range plan of bringing brand alignment. Does anyone have a heads up on other teams that are partnered?

 

Did LAG II have to use the Nike game ball or could they use the Adidas MLS one because of their contract (as part of the MLS team) with Adidas?

 

Orlando - Louisville have the obvious connection with the purple. I don't think you'll see many of the independent clubs switching styles to be like their affiliates unless they start signing deals longer than a year. It doesn't make sense to change your look if there's a chance of losing that link the next season.

Riverhounds stuff-

The team posted pictures of their academy kids new uniforms the other week, which may indicate the Hounds will get new kits next season. The academy and the first team have traditionally worn the same thing. Nothing really net, just their 3rd kit from last season in black.

Also I heard through the back channels that they aren't planning on doing a full rebrand in the near future. There's been discussions but that's about it. Probably going with "Pittsburgh colors" (e.g. black and gold) was brought up again.

 

I took a quick look at a couple of their highlight videos and they're using the Nike balls at home. LAGII, while sharing the name, are a separate entity from the MLS team so whatever contracts LAG has don't necessarily carry over.

 

Thanks for the info, repped!

 

Austin unveiled their new kits at the same time they announced Columbus as their MLS affiliate. Does anybody know where we could find some pics of them?

 

Here's their kits: http://austinaztex.com/2014/11/26/aztex-announce-mls-affiliate-reveal-new-kits-at-launch-party/