The Texas Longhorns barely eked out a win over the 1-3 Iowa State Cyclones last Thursday, mostly thanks to officials in the review booth just going through the motions — not unlike the Longhorns’ coaching staff. It won’t get easier for the Longhorns as they travel to Dallas October 12 for the 2013 Red River Rivalry against the No. 12 ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
Texas fans might not be looking forward to the Saturday matchup, possibly preferring to stress-eat fried foods at the State Fair, but at least the Longhorns will look good in their special edition uniforms for what will be either the greatest upset or worst mud-stomping in the rivalry’s history.
From the inside-the-jersey necklines to the cleats, Nike has included plenty of references to the Red River’s ultimate prize.
Both the UT and Oklahoma athletics departments unveiled the new Pro Combat uniforms from Nike, which celebrate the heritage of the football rivalry that spans more than a century. At first glance, they might not look that different from the normal uniforms worn by the teams every week, but both include some symbolic nuances for each team.
The most notable addition is the use of gold accents to pay homage to the trophy that goes to the game winner: the Golden Hat. Along with jersey numbers in gold trim, each team will have a gold edition of Nike’s Vapor Jet II gloves; Texas’ will feature a white Longhorn logo across the palms.
Gold accents further highlight the front of each jersey, with a gold patch of the Red River Rivalry logo and a gold Nike swoosh. If you look at the Oklahoma Sooners’ jerseys, you might notice a special difference between the uniforms. The OU embroidered logo is gold, while the Longhorns’ is white. This symbolizes the fact that the Sooners were the champions of the previous matchup.
The rivalry imagery also appears beneath the uniforms. Players can wear special Nike Pro Hypercool Baselayer Tops with directional chevron patterns pointing the way the teams travel each year to Dallas. From the inside-the-jersey necklines to the cleats, Nike has included plenty of references to the Red River’s ultimate prize.
Fans can also purchase the specially designed jerseys and apparel to mark the 108th matchup between the two teams. Whether you believe the Horns can pull off the upset or you’re ready to just forget that this season ever happened, you have one more option of clothing to wear when tailgating this weekend. And perhaps that white Longhorn can motivate the players to give Mack Brown one more big win to remember.
The Nike Pro Combat uniforms feature special homages to the Golden Hat trophy.
