"I bleed blue and white (and some black, too)"

I love uniforms. Seriously, all that fabric with the different designs and colors that fans over pay for every year, I love it. So much so that I will spend countless hours staring at Google image search results of any and all uniforms that I can find.

At Buffalo, our uniforms have long been traditional, but in the past few years an aggressive rebranding has taken place on campus. The most notable change were the football team's uniforms, which undertook a dramatic change last season. My first reaction was excitement when I saw that Nike was giving us a fresh new look. I thought we could possibly be getting the Pro Combat treatment, Nike's top of the line uniforms they give to the biggest and best brand name teams in the country, i.e. Oregon.

I quickly realized this made no sense. Buffalo is on the low end of the college football spectrum, so it would not make sense for the Bulls' uniforms to match the standards set by other teams in the nation's top conferences.

However, the new uniforms were still an improvement. Although the old blue and white Buffalo look was classic, the uniform material looked cheap and unimpressive. The new uniforms use top-of-the-line technology and give the Bulls a modern look.

Although the new jerseys are an improvement, I still have issues with them.

My first issue is the black. Black gets everywhere on uniforms these days, and it drives me nuts. If I had anything drilled into my head during orientation weekend, it was that Buffalo's school colors are white and blue. All over campus are signs that plead students to "bleed blue and white." Not to mention our student section is named True Blue.

So how does black find its way onto every uniform combo that our football team wears? I don't know.

On both the blue and white uniform tops, the under arm area has a black rectangle. It makes me wonder what the designers were thinking. It looks like the players are sweating black out of their armpits. It's not exactly a pleasant thought.

Then there's the black pants. I wouldn't have as much of an issue with the black pants if there was a matching black alternative uniform. An all-black alternate could be an intimidating look, especially if used once a year in a big game.

The tramp stamp is another odd feature by Nike. Above the butt on the back of the pants, in block print is "Buffalo." It's this peculiar thing that Nike decided every football team in the country needs and I don't get it. This isn't the Jersey Shore; the football players don't need tramp stamps to remind each other which team they play for. It's an asinine component that can be left without.

Although I've spent five paragraphs complaining about the Bulls' uniforms, the truth is, I actually like these jerseys.

You immediately know you are watching a Buffalo game when you see them. It is a distinct look that screams Buffalo Bulls. The blue is undoubtedly Buffalo, and the white jersey with white pants is one of my favorite road looks in college football.

When I see the games on Saturdays, I am proud to see my favorite team wearing a uniform that makes it look as competitive as I hope it can be.

When the Bulls play the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend, you'll know what your favorite players will be wearing: the trusty old blue and white (and a little black).

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com