Fashion Statement: Ranking the ACC Football Uniforms

Like it or not, uniform designs are crucial to a football program. They play a vital role in recruiting and also factor in greatly to merchandise sales. There are plenty of examples across the country of flawless design, and those jerseys that are flat-out atrocious.

In spirit of the reports that Virginia Tech will wear their throwback jerseys full-time this year, I’ve ranked the 12 teams of the ACC in order of whose uni’s are best.

1. Florida State

It’s hard to argue the Seminoles have the most recognizable uniforms in the league. Nothing compares to the tomahawk “pride” stickers that gradually consume the helmet like a swarm of ants as the season unfolds. The spear, which is featured on both the golden helmet and on the trim of the neck and sleeves of the jersey, is tasteful yet bold.

The Seminoles have yet to hop on the new era bandwagon of elaborate piping and disco ball fonts. The only time they have broken the traditional mold was for an all-black look, which could best be described as intimidating as hell. When your jerseys are a classic, yet the occasional new-age look is a home run, it earns you the top spot on this list.

2. Miami

The “U” says it all. Pearly white helmets with the only unmistakable orange and green “U” emblazoned on it is simply awesome. Nothing says Miami football more than that logo.

The color combination isn’t the prettiest thing, but it’s edgy and unique, just like the Hurricane program. The ‘Canes made orange and green look good when they were beating people by 40 under Jimmy Johnson in the 1980’s. There isn’t another jersey in the league that is a more perfect fit for the program than Miami’s.

The best look for Miami is the all-white ensemble. Only the Texas Longhorns look better in a white helmet, jersey and pants.

3. North Carolina

The Tar Heels have a new look this season, and for a university that rarely breaks the mold of tradition, it’s sure stepping out on a limb this time around. Silver is the new alternate color at the school, apparently, after the men’s basketball team donned the metallic unis in February.

The Tar Heels will have a silver helmet at their disposal this season, as well as a white helmet with their logo in Carolina blue, which I would call the sexiest thing in Chapel Hill since this young broad.

UNC has the best color combination in the ACC, and maybe the country. That powder blue looks good even on a football field. Of course, it helps when the team is actually winning games, which has become a regularity under Butch Davis. The only qualm with the uniform selection I have is with the navy blue attire. If those shirts were retired, all would be well in the equipment closet at North Carolina.

4. Virginia Tech

The Hokies’ new/old uniforms, circa 1970, are a breath of fresh air in the growing trend of jerseys that look like they belong at a NASA base. It’s unknown if the Hokies will use the current helmet, with the connected “VT” logo, or switch to the old one, with a large V below a smaller T.

Still, maroon and orange is another interesting color combo but it is as quiet as those southwest Virginia boys that built the Hokies into one of the best programs in America.

For years, the Hokies abandoned orange altogether in the uniforms, until two years ago when it was reintroduced for the annual “orange effect” game. It wasn’t a terrible look, but it’s likely back in the vault for a while with the reported switch to the Jerry Claiborne era jerseys.

5. Clemson

I don't dig the Barney look.

The Tigers could be a little higher if they didn’t have those horrid all-purple garments in their history. Having the purple as a compliment to a predominantly orange jersey is nice, in fact I like it a lot; nobody else has a color combination like that. But when purple covers up most of the orange, it just doesn’t feel right. Clemson is an orange school. It always has and always will be.

The white paw print on the orange helmet is great, but it lost a bit of its luster when they tried to emulate Florida State with the miniature stickers on the helmet. Only Florida State and Ohio State should be allowed by the NCAA to use those.

The best combination for Clemson is the orange tops and white pants. It’s clean, and not flamboyant like the all-orange or anything with mostly purple.

6. Maryland

For a short while, Under Armour looked to be on the rise in the football uniform industry. Programs like Maryland, Texas Tech, Utah, South Carolina and Auburn all made the switch to Under Armour within the past seven years, but Nike has responded by kicking their designs up another notch. Still, the all-black gear is stunning.

When the Terps dress right...they still stink.

As good as the all-black look and the red jerseys are, the Terps have worn two combos that are just as disgusting. Yellow jerseys with red trim are never okay. Neither are camoflauge jerseys. It was a great gesture by Under Armour to support the troops overseas, but I when I watched Maryland use them against Virginia I couldn’t tell if it was camo or Ralph Fridgen’s had a violent bowel movement in the locker room before the game.

7. Boston College

The road jerseys are much nicer than the home outfits for the Eagles. The numbers are clean, but nobody pulls off the garnet and gold like Florida State. That’s pretty much all Boston College’s uniforms are: a poor man’s Florida State ensemble.

8. Virginia

Is it just me, or do these look exactly like Illinois' jerseys?

Not only is Mike London changing the way the Cavaliers will play football, he’s changed the way they’re going to look while doing it. Nike has revised the Cavaliers’ uniforms with their Pro Combat series. Orange is once again a predominant color; there are both orange tops and bottoms in the new wardrobe. The double stripe on the helmet is gone too, bringing back memories of the Barber twin days.

I saw these up close and personal at the Cavs’ spring game, and they disappointed me. Still, it’s one thing to see them on the manikins rather than the players. If the Wahoos want their unis to rise on the list, it wouldn’t hurt to start winning in them.

9. NC State

There’s not much to say about the ‘Pack’s uniforms. They are simple and clean. I do like the Wolfpack logo above the numbers on the front. Thankfully they abandoned the claw stickers on the helmet under Tom O’Brien. The Wolfpack’s outfit is just about like the team that wears it: nothing stands out, but it’s not awful either.

10. Wake Forest

Wake could take a page out of NC State’s book. The all-black set for the Deacons is a great look, and the all-white isn’t bad either, but when that gold starts creeping into the jerseys is where they go wrong. I’m a fan of black helmets, and they look best with a mostly black combination on the clothing. If Wake stuck with just one home option and one road option, they’d be a spot or two higher on this list.

11. Georgia Tech

There’s a reason Russell is the redheaded stepchild of football uniform design nowadays: they stink at making jerseys that look good. There’s some sort of weird piping across the breastbone that reminds me of a high school band uniform. The helmets aren’t anything to compliment, either. It’s boring, like the Jackets’ offense. I guess like the team itself, the jerseys aren’t fun to watch, but they get the job done.

12. Duke

One of the many failed attempts at a football helmet at Duke this decade.

For one thing, until David Cutcliffe arrived the Blue Devils themselves weren’t sure what their uniforms were. Helmets changed yearly along with the jersey patterns. Unfortunately, none of them were every any good. The Devils have a good color, royal blue and white, but the jerseys are just simple.

Simple works if you’re Penn State or USC, but Duke needs something to make it stand out. If your program stinks and your jerseys don’t even make you look cool, it’s pretty hard to sell your football program to recruits. And for that, David Cutcliffe has my vote for best recruiter in the ACC. Not really.