Fansided

Are these the new Tennessee Volunteers uniforms from Nike?

By Jonathan Bass

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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First look at what appears to be the new Tennessee Volunteers uniforms from Nike.

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Wednesday, July 1 marks the beginning of a new era in Knoxville. After more than a decade with apparel company adidas, the Tennessee Volunteers switch over to Nike.

In the lead up to the new contract, both Nike and Tennessee have been pimping out social media and teasing fans with everything from cryptic videos …

… to campy Game of Thrones posters (If you play the Game of Jones, you win or you’re fired).

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Now on the final day of UT’s contract with adidas, it appears some of the Vols’ new jerseys have leaked online. Below is a look at some of the new threads.

The uniforms hold true to much of Tennessee’s traditional scheme, but look cleaner and more streamlined than those from adidas. Releasing its own version of the Smoke alternates was a great call by Nike; the checkerboard helmet stripe is also a nice nod to the Vols’ iconic end zone pattern. A full reveal will take place on Wednesday at 12 ET.

For Tennessee, this moderate rebranding is the latest reawakening under the Butch Jones era. After years of turnover and ineffective coaches (Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley), Tennessee finally seems to have a leader primed to return the program to prominence. Jones has recruited the daylights out of the South, and has strung together some of the nation’s top classes during his brief tenure. He also improved his win record between Years 1 and 2 at Tennessee, and has the Vols looking like a popular dark horse (if there is such a thing as a “popular dark horse”) in what figures to be another less-than-stellar year for the SEC East. It’s only apropos that the Nike changeover is happening as the team is once again prepared to capture the nation’s attention.

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