adidas, Canes jersey unveiling event a smashing success

LIV nightclub at the Fountanebleau hotel on Miami Beach is a premium location, and famous for its high end party nights. It was also the perfect location for Saturday's unveiling of the new adidas jerseys for Miami Hurricanes football. From the entrance walkway to the DJ stage, the entire club was heavily branded with adidas banners, signs, projected logos, and event glassware. For the 500 invited guests, it was a cozy location with a great vibe for this special event.

Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden and Athletic Director Blake James were on hand, as was Women's Basketball Coach Katie Meyer. Canes superfan Cutler Ridge Laz was there as well, and so was All Canes GM Harry Rothwell. UM Alums Jonathan Vilma, Jerome McDougle, and U.S. Olympians Terea Brown (track) and Katie Hoff (swimming) were also in attendance. No matter where you looked, there were Canes fans having fun, enjoying the setting and the moment for this unveiling.

At 9:20pm, the black sheets covering the jerseys were lifted, and the world got to see the new swag that the Canes will be rocking this year. The core jerseys that were unveiled come in 3 colors of tops and pants: White, Orange, and Green. With mix and match options, the Canes can have 9 unique combinations of jerseys this season.

Of note on the unveiled jerseys: adidas showcased the mixed combinations at the LIV event. So, while there are white tops and white pants, a defacto Stormtroopers combo, that was not displayed. That rings true for orange tops and orange pant combo, and the green top with green pant combo.

Details about the jerseys from the adidas press release:

Developed in collaboration with the University of Miami athletic department, the team’s new look is highlighted by updated metallic stripes on the jerseys and pants, incorporating hurricane style cuts and patterns throughout the new uniform. Additionally, the "Hurricanes" moniker is strategically placed across the ribbing of the inside collar for the players to see when they don the uniform, while the classic oversized "U" logo is stitched into on the back of the jersey for all to view.

Made with a cutting-edge, proprietary yarn blend that increases durability and abrasion resistance, Primeknit is the premier compression uniform system, featuring the latest generation of adidas TECHFIT technology. Primeknit helps keep players cool and increases range of motion, giving athletes an unrivaled level of comfort and allowing them to perform at their highest levels. The jersey's padlock system secures tension over the shoulder pads, while the bodymap fit adheres to the player, making it difficult for opponents to grab, hold or tackle.

Rounding out the core uniforms are the adizero 5-Star 4.0 cleats, lighter than any competitor cleat at 8.0 ounces and constructed with lightweight SPRINTSKIN upper featuring SHOCKWEB reinforcement, along with the adizero 5-Star 4.0 gloves, with 4-way stretch mesh for compression fit and GripTack 2.0 for consistent control in all weather conditions, and TECHFIT gun show baselayer – both prominently featuring the "U" logo.

The elephant in the room was the absence of a special white or special black jersey. These jerseys have been heavily rumored, and may eventually make an appearance down the line. I could see adidas running those combinations out for a game unannounced, with the first viewing of them coming when the team runs onto the field for the game. And, for adidas to make Miami their "Oregon", a comparison to the Ducks being at the forefront of Nike's marketing push and apparel designs, the special white and special black uniforms are a necessity.

In any event, the jersey unveiling was a smashing success, an the designs are a modern take on classic Miami jerseys. In my mind, they're a homerun. And, if we're being honest, the designs that adidas just unveiled run circles around the last design of Nike jerseys Miami got last year.

All in all, the adidas jersey unveiling event was a smashing success, and I am very excited to see what comes next.