(San Diego State University Athletics)

By Holly Anderson

It is our untrained bloggy opinion that San Diego State has scored big with its brand refresh. We’re probably alone in missing the gold borders of the logo, and will never criticize the simplification of a color scheme. The advantage a team like SDSU has during this process — as opposed to, say, Georgia — is the built-in badassery of the spear as a symbol of the university. Where the Dawgs tried to update their logo and wound up with Kidz Bop Bulldog, a spear is going to be pointy and killy no matter how cartoonish the rendering. And instead of squinting at the pointy or curly bits of new logos trying to spot the symbolism a Nike rep insists is there, we get this refreshingly straightforward language:

Aztec spears were long, wooden, and tipped with stone, obsidian or copper points. Among the favorite weapons the Aztecs used were the double-edged obsidian spears. The spear symbolizes offensive strength and power.

Where San Diego State really nailed this new look, however, is in the custom font work:

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By Zac Ellis

There is never a dull moment when it comes to Oregon’s uniforms, a notion that extends even to spring practice in Eugene. The Ducks announced they will wear new Nike-designed uniforms to honor U.S. troops during Saturday’s annual spring game.

The uniforms will feature the phrase “SUPPORT OUR TROOPS” written across both the home and away jersey nameplates:

New Ducks uniforms for Oregon's Spring Game: http://t.co/h1zgIVr1iF—
Heidi Burgett (@heidiburgett) April 26, 2013

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By Holly Anderson

We are documented prudes when it comes to uniform changes, and as such are usually immune to the charms of whatever Adidas and Nike are churning out. But in a shocking twist, we find West Virginia’s new getups almost entirely inoffensive:

Our one hangup is the all-Old Gold combo. There is no such thing as too much blue, and every time the ‘Eers roll out in head-to-toe yellow, we cringe just a bit. But these are a vast improvement over the weird primer gray scheme that always seemed to evoke an airport mired in renovation efforts.

From WVU:

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By Zac Ellis

According to Brett McMurphy of ESPN, Notre Dame will honor the first responders and victims of the Boston Marathon bombings by wearing special helmet decals during the team’s spring game:

Notre Dame will put this decal to honor Boston on helmets for Saturday’s spring game twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/s…

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) April 19, 2013

Coach Brian Kelly tweeted a picture of the decal adorning one of his team’s helmets:

We will honor all of the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy tomorrow with a new helmet decal. twitter.com/CoachBrianKell…

— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) April 19, 2013

This is nice gesture by the Irish, and follows yesterday’s news that UMass will allow Boston Marathon runners to run a lap during its spring game. The Minutemen will also wear special helmet decals.

By Holly Anderson

It’s a hard, cold time to be a UConn football fan. Mired in the Big East That Was, they’re staring down a 2013 schedule that includes the likes of Towson, Maryland, Buffalo, South Florida, Temple and Memphis, and they’re going to have to watch their Huskies take the field in these get-ups, which look for all the world as though they are being devoured feet-first by their own mascot:

Two new helmets from the front. http://t.co/is2YsXNWOt—
Paul Pasqualoni (@PaulPasqualoni) April 18, 2013

(This optical illusion will last right up until Week 4, when players are actually physically devoured by Michigan at home.)

Huskies partisans at the inscrutably-named The UConn Blog, which called the new look “A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER,” are currently voting on whether the new helmets are “the worst thing ever created by human hands.” (There are two poll choices: “Yes” and “Yes.”)

There is one bit of good news out of Storrs today: If you stuck around long enough to see the Huskies’ third alternate helmet, for use in night games this fall, we’re sure you’ll agree it, at least, carries the proper degree of menace:

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We get nervous when Nike gets involved with classic college football brands. We like Penn State’s uniforms, Alabama’s uniforms, simple two-color get-ups with clean lines. We’re curmudgeonly like that. But there’s not much we like better than diving into press releases Nike puts out after coming up with new fonts, so let’s unpack Georgia’s new look:

Here's a look at the football jerseys with the Bulldog Bold font. http://t.co/wbjFjWN2A7—
Georgia Bulldogs (@UGAAthletics) April 02, 2013

Here’s what they have to say about it:

The letterforms are sturdy and powerful drawing inspiration from the bulldog’s anatomy as well as perhaps the most notable North Campus fixture — The Arch. The famous cast-iron Arch, has become the symbol of the University of Georgia, and was installed in the 1850s, when the front of the campus was enclosed with an iron fence. The Arch was patterned after the arch on Georgia’s state seal.

Right, except you know what’s sturdier and powerful-er? Block lettering. Why is Boise State the only team that looks good when it veers away from block numerals? Everybody else who tries it looks cartoonish, and this is no exception.

And here’s where the trouble really starts:

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What do you think? #WKUFootball http://t.co/L9TcJVxGqI—
Bobby Petrino (@CoachPetrinoWKU) March 29, 2013

Kind of loving Western Kentucky’s reflective helmets. The logo placement makes it look as though small red towels held by disembodied hands are shining the helmet even as it’s being worn. Admire the multitasking spirit.

Here is a stat we would like to see all Nike football programs adopt:

#OnlyInOregonGameNotes http://t.co/lIonRXQUFu—
Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 15, 2013

Our new schutt vengeance helmet! http://t.co/xJaUIji8dB—
Colorado Equipment (@CUEquipment) March 12, 2013

This will catch plenty of turf the next time every Colorado player slams to the ground in an unnecessary quarterback sneak.

All Orange #ReBeaved http://t.co/VJVsav5mdq—
Mike Riley (@Coach_Riley) March 05, 2013

The #ReBeaved hashtag alone should’ve warned us we were in for something special.

A 6:30 p.m. PST announcement doesn’t exactly fit in with our writing schedule, particularly in March, but we made a mistake not staying online for Oregon State’s rebranding event, especially if this is what we missed from OSU’s athletic director:

Bob De Carolis just yelled out to the crowd, "CAN I GET A YOLO?!?!" What the hell is going on?—
Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) March 05, 2013

Interested readers can view an extensive gallery of the Beavers’ new looks here, along with a list of alterations to the Beaver brand, which include a new, rocket-looking Beaver logo and the following innovations:

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