Each school around the Big Ten has a distinct look, a different color scheme and a unique identity. Some uniforms look great on television, while others just make you want to turn away. Here are the grades (alphabetically) of every Big Ten Men’s basketball team’s uniforms.
Illinois
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: First of all, the retro jerseys are a great throwback and the trim works perfectly. Also, the “Fighting Illini” on the front looks pretty epic. The normal white home jerseys are OK at best, the only cool feature being the gradient text on the “Illinois” on the front. The orange away jersey is a mere copy of the standard home jersey, without the flashy gradient text mentioned above.
Grade: B
Indiana
Sponsor: Adidas
Breakdown: This is a classic look that Hoosier fans have grown to love over the years. The crimson red and white combo is simple, yet elegant. Who doesn’t love the candy cane stripe warmup pants?
Grade: A
Iowa
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: I have a love-hate relationship with Iowa’s uniforms. The Hawkeyes sport three jersey colors this year: white, yellow, and black. The white and black look epic, but the yellow looks too much like a bumblebee.
Grade: B-
Maryland
Sponsor: Under Armour
Breakdown: Maryland features four different colored jerseys this season: yellow, white, red, and black. Under Armour really does a great job on all four of them. The thing that makes these jerseys stand out is the Maryland flag trim outlining every stitch. The yellow and red jerseys are the standout of the bunch.
Grade: A+
Michigan
Sponsor: Air Jordan
Breakdown: When Air Jordan partnered with Michigan in 2016 for a whopping $173.8 million deal, the world took notice. Air Jordan has delivered with a phenomenal assortment of jerseys for the boys up in Ann Arbor. All three jerseys – maize, white, and blue – have a soft throwback look, and boy, does it work. The maize jersey may be the best one of its color in all of college basketball.
Grade: A
Michigan State
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: There’s nothing too flashy about Michigan State’s uniforms. The green and white kits are a simplistic look this year for Michigan State, who stumbled out of the gate in 2017.
Grade: B-
Minnesota
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: The Gophers are sporting three jerseys this year – maroon, yellow, and white. There’s something consistently unsettling about Minnesota’s color combo – maybe it’s because they’re rivals with Wisconsin, but still.
Grade: C+
Nebraska
Sponsor: Adidas
Breakdown: The standard white home jersey is alright, but the alternate throwback jersey is the winner here for Nebraska. The black away jersey is the best of its color in the Big Ten, and the red away jersey reeks of Adidas. Nebraska’s jerseys get the job done.
Grade: B
Northwestern
Sponsor: Under Armour
Breakdown: The purple and white combination really works for this college’s threads. Not to mention, the grey alternative jersey is really eye-catching. Northwestern’s purple may be made fun of when backed up against the consistent failures of its athletics programs, but their jersey game has to at least garner some respect.
Grade: A-
Ohio State
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: Another classic look for a Big Ten stalwart. The Buckeye red and white is a nice look, but seems like it needs a bit of a facelift (just like their basketball program). Much like Michigan State, these jerseys aren’t trying to do too much.
Grade: B
Penn State
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: The blue and white is once again a classic look for the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s shade of blue is perhaps not as memorable as that of other schools, but works well against white. Penn State wouldn’t be suited well by the flashiness of Under Armour, so Nike is a good fit.
Grade: B+
Purdue
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: Purdue might be known for its classic gold look, but there are major flaws with their jersey schemes. “Purdue” is too big on the front, and the gold color doesn’t pop as much as it does with other programs. There’s just nothing special about Purdue’s jerseys.
Grade: C
Rutgers
Sponsor: Nike
Breakdown: The baby brother of the Big Ten, Rutgers often doesn’t receive the respect it deserves. Nike hasn’t given them that respect either. It’s a classic Nike look for Rutgers with the trim and neck line. It will be interesting to see if Rutgers’ jersey game will improve as it asserts itself in the Big Ten.
Grade: B
Wisconsin
Sponsor: Under Armour
Breakdown: In its first year with Under Armour, Wisconsin is sporting a nice look with the classic cardinal red and white. Under Armour should look to enhance the Badger’s classic look as it has done with Northwestern and Maryland.
Grade: A-
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