Noticed Indiana University's basketball team jerseys looking different? Here's why.

Rachel Smith, The Herald-Times
·3 min read
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Whether you've been an at-home viewer leaning in to your television screen or an eagle-eyed stadium seat filler breaking out some binoculars, you may have noticed something different about your favorite basketball team's court garb.

Briefly swapping out their usual cream and crimson, the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team have been donning a different home uniform at Assembly Hall throughout this month. Why, you may ask? As Jeremy Gray, senior associate athletic director for strategic communications, describes it, it's a great way for the Indiana University basketball program to call proper attention to Black History Month.

"It's our intention, with basketball being especially high profile and the heart of their season taking place during Black History Month, to make sure that we're highlighting it in those ways," Gray said.

These home uniforms were designed as part of Adidas' "Honoring Black Excellence" initiative. While the men's basketball team debuted their jerseys earlier this month, the women's team are expected to break theirs out tonight at Assembly Hall.

Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) and the rest of the Hoosiers wore throwback jerseys during the first half of the Indiana versus Rutgers men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) and the rest of the Hoosiers wore throwback jerseys during the first half of the Indiana versus Rutgers men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Explaining the design behind IU's limited-time jerseys

Designed by the Adidas team with input from IU Athletics, the home jerseys utilize state iconography as well as color symbolism to celebrate Black culture through a local lens.

All along the cream-colored uniform are freshly sprouted peonies, Indiana's state flower, with baby blue and orange accents for stylization. A small purple and orange patch is sewn onto the neckline, falling right below the nape of the player's neck. According to Adidas' design team, purple and orange were chosen for each color's impact and historical symbolism, with the former celebrating "the regal past of Black kings and queens" and the latter representing the "sacrifice and strength in spirit that never dies."

This actually marks the second year the Hoosiers have worn these uniforms to honor Black History Month, and it's part of the plan to continue this tradition each February.

The whole series:Black History Month in Bloomington: what to know, where to go and who to follow

"It's a source of enormous importance and pride for our program and something that we need to continue to support going forward," Gray said.

As the Adidas campaign emphasizes Black individuals' high achievements, Gray referenced some of Indiana University's own unique history, such as legendary Hoosier Bill Garrett, who was the first African American basketball player to compete regularly in the Big Ten Conference.

By taking a small part in the Honoring Black Excellence initiative, wearing these jerseys "pays homage and recognizes individuals who are positively impacting others' lives within and around their communities," Gray said.

The women's basketball team is set to debut their re-designed home uniforms Thursday night against the Michigan Wolverines 8:30 p.m. at Assembly Hall. Fans will also celebrate Neal-Marshall Night at the stadium, where the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will be recognized during the game in addition to a rousing performance by the African American Dance Company.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana University, Adidas partner for Black History Month jersey line