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Power Ranking Penn State Athletics’ Current Uniforms

Penn State’s athletic programs prioritize playing well whenever they hit the field, court, or ice. But the importance of looking good is definitely not lost on the Nittany Lions.

As the university’s official outfitter, Nike has come up with some awesome jersey designs that fit Penn State’s signature blue-and-white color scheme. Most teams’ uniforms incorporate the blue and white to create a simple but effective design, while others go outside the box and end up creating some even nicer uniforms.

Penn State’s student-athletes are decked out in the best of the best, so we decided to power rank their current uniforms:

7. Men’s Basketball (away)

Penn State men’s basketball’s away jerseys are the team’s best despite several design flaws.

One gripe with the jersey is how cluttered the front side looks. Making the number or team name a bit smaller would help the design immensely, as would changing the team name’s arched font. The uniform as a whole also loses points for being asymmetrical even though the white stripe underneath the right arm looks good.

As far as positives, there are plenty to choose from. The consistent color scheme works well, and the nameless back of the jersey looks great. No names all game, ya know?

6. Men’s Soccer (alternate)

Penn State men’s soccer debuted these grey uniforms this season under new head coach Jeff Cook, taking notes from men’s hockey’s alternate shirts.

The gray base works just as well on the pitch at Jeffrey Field as it does in Pegula Arena. The jersey number between the horizontal stripes pulls it all together, but loses points because the number on the back cuts into three separate stripes.

Regardless, this jersey is a winner, even if Penn State is off to a 1-4 start to the 2018 season.

5. Field Hockey (home)

Take notes, men’s basketball. The field hockey team’s uniforms aren’t the most creative on campus, but “PENN STATE” in straight-line font on the front of the jersey is neat and bold.

The team also removed the white outline from last season’s jersey, which gives it a much cleaner and smoother look. Less is more, and Penn State’s field hockey uniforms are a great example of this design doctrine.

4. Football (home)

Black shoes, basic blues, no names, all game. Need I say more?

3. Women’s Basketball (Pink Zone)

The Lady Lions sport these snazzy pink uniforms in the annual Play4Kay game benefitting Pink Zone to help raise money for the Breast Cancer Awareness foundation. The Pink Zone game often draws the biggest crowd of the season for the Lady Lions, and the jerseys also pay homage to the university’s original pink-and-black color scheme.

Penn State upset then-No. 25 Michigan in the Pink Zone game during the 2016-17 season. The Lady Lions didn’t wear a full-pink uniform for the game in 2014 because Wisconsin wore its red away jerseys, but they’ll be back in pink this season when they host Michigan.

2. Football (away)

Some prefer the Nittany Lions’ home blues, while others are partial to the white-on-white, blue detail scheme used in away games.

The all-white combination looks fantastic, especially during a beatdown of Pitt at Heinz Field. Several Penn State uniforms take an understated approach, and this look is a perfect example of that philosophy.

1. Men’s Hockey (alternate)

There’s no better way to wrap up this list than with one of the best-looking uniforms in college hockey. The hockey team’s standard home and away sweaters use a simpler design, but these bad boys were unveiled to spice up Penn State’s look in January 2015 and have been kept in the team’s rotation ever since.

The alternate sweater incorporates a gray base and a horizontal blue & white stripe through the middle of the jersey. Extending the stripe around the entire jersey onto the back could have been a jersey-ruining mistake, but fortunately, the stripe is only on the front.

Beyond the jersey, the navy blue pants and similarly-patterned socks don’t hurt the uniform’s look. Add in the unique circular logo and there you have it.

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About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: [email protected]

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