College football is a sport steeped in tradition, and even today, no program represents that standard of consistency more strongly than Notre Dame. The Golden Domers, Touchdown Jesus, the Fighting Irish: these are terms which have become synonymous with the idea of college football and its associated pageantry. The NFL may be bigger and bolder and more polished, but, thanks to programs like Notre Dame, college football will always remain an essential bridge between the scaled-back charms of high school ball and the high-stakes intensity of the professional leagues.
However, times change, and so must traditions, if only in the slightest of ways. Though Notre Dame will continue to have its hard-earned mystique and prestige in 2014, the university's athletic programs have partnered with Under Armour to introduce an updated look for their athletes, culminating today with the reveal of the football team's newest uniforms. Led by UA senior designer Adam Clement, Notre Dame will take to the court, the field, and any other playing surface in 2014 with a brand-new, all-encompassing look.
"We treat the entire athletic program as one," Clement says. "We wanted to figure out a way to tell a design story that could connect the entire athletic program to each other."
As it happens, in searching for a new way to tell an old story, Clement and his team came back to the traditions that have largely defined Notre Dame sports, particularly in the realm of football.
"There's only so much we can do," Clement says. "There's only so much we want to do. It's so important to stay true to all of the history in the school and the uniform itself."
Bearing this in mind, Clement decided on changes that would emphasize the more subtle aspects of uniform design. Things like fits and fabrics that may not be completely discernible to the average viewer, but will offer the athletes a competitive edge. However, he did note a change in the football team's sock and baselayer compression shirts: the addition of two stripes—what he calls the "Notre Dame stripes"—inspired by the roof of the university campus' Main Building, which features a repeated stripe pattern.
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Though it's only subtly displayed in the football uniform, Clement noted that these stripes would be featured more prominently in uniforms across other sports.
The greatest advantages in Under Armour's regular uniforms for Notre Dame football will come with the technology, which will feature the company's CompFit material in 12 working panels across the jersey.
"The fabrication that we use for this has stretch, but more importantly it has power," Clement explains. "That power gives you a snap-back quality, so that when [the fabric] is stretched, it comes back to your body." There's a distinct science that goes into figuring out the proper alignments of stretch and pull and grab across a player's body, though, along with separate needs like breathability and fit. Clement assures that Under Armour has taken the proper steps to anticipate these changes, switching the direction of the fabric in certain locations so that it works more securely with the skin, adding mesh in the lower back panels for greater temperature regulation, and finding a variety of ways to improve moisture-wicking, drag-reduction, and overall speed.
"In terms of overall performance, we've had a lot of positive feedback on the uniform," he adds.
However, the greatest test to tradition will not come with the football team's regular uniforms. It will arrive with the team's annual Shamrock Series game, which will take place on September 13 in Lucas Oil Stadium against their intra-state rival, Purdue. During the game, the team will be wearing Under Armour's Shamrock Series uniform, an ornate tribute to the university's hallowed Golden Dome.
The decision to implement the Dome in their design came after a series of trips Clement and his team made to Notre Dame's campus in South Bend, IN in order to identify the school's heart and soul. During one of those fact-finding missions, they had a revelation.
"We were standing in front of the Golden Dome," Clement says. "Something just struck us about it being one of the most iconic pieces of architecture on any college campus—certainly in the United States, and possibly even in the world."
To find out more about the Dome, Clement and his team explored its internal and external structures, taking note of the cross-hatching in its design, and ultimately deciding to feature this detail in three different parts of the uniform: the sleeves of the jersey, a stripe on the pant, and the helmet.
Furthermore, they also noted the mosaic tile sitting directly underneath the Dome inside the Main Building. Featured in the design of the uniform's baselayer, sleeves, and gloves, the intricate, multi-tonal pattern adds an eye-catching element to the uniform's overall aesthetic. The nuances in coloring and lines offer a perfect balance that won't overpower viewers, but still pays proper tribute to one of Notre Dame's most prominent icons.
Truly, Under Armour's Shamrock Series uniform embodies the spirit of the Golden Dome. Clement notes the absence of white in the kit—a first for Notre Dame—as well as the lack of any green coloring, which had become a staple of past Shamrock Series unis. With Under Armour's help, the Golden Domers are creating new ways to let their most brilliant traditions shine.
"We wanted to make sure the story was all about Notre Dame and Notre Dame at its roots," Clement says. "We feel like we hit a nice place with how we are celebrating the past, but doing something that still has a unique flavor. That's what the Shamrock Series is all about."
