MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin athletic program has only had two colors in its jersey color palette for decades: the simple cardinal and white. No longer, as this year’s Badgers basketball teams are breaking the mold in a bold statement.
In partnership with Under Armour, the third edition of the men's basketball “By the Players” uniform is a striking black uniform with gold pinstripes, believed to be the first UW uniform that strays away from the traditional red or white.
“The black on black, the blackout, it’s something that you always love,” UW point guard Chucky Hepburn said. “You love the white out or the blackout as a basketball player.”
The design has been in the works for the past two seasons, even before Hepburn got on campus, and was officially told to the players during the spring, but the sophomore was part of the big reveal over social media Friday. The new look of black tops and shorts with gold trim includes a red motion “W” on the short's left leg, and the jerseys with “WISCONSIN” bolded in black across their chest, outlined in red and gold, and their number centered in cardinal.
It got fans excited for a different look and made former basketball players and current UW football players jealous that they were left out of the mix.
“It’s a really cool design,” said Hepburn of the jerseys, which senior Tyler Wahl was largely involved in. “Ever since I was a recruit, I’ve been talking to them about alternate jerseys. To see it take place is awesome.”
The alternate uniforms are scheduled to make their debut when the Badgers host Grambling State on December 23, then again later in the season in recognition of Black History Month. The jerseys are embellished with the words "EQUALITY, UNITY, WISCONSIN FORWARD" within the gold pinstripes to represent diversity and inclusion.
The university crest logo with the "W" in black makes a return appearance on the back of the jersey above the player’s last name. That feature was added during the 2020-21 season in a showing of solidarity with Black and other underrepresented communities on campus.
"I wish I could have had them on," UW assistant coach Sharif Chambliss said. "Those black unis are special and especially what they're representing and the words that are on them. I think people need to take into account not just that it's a black uniform but there is a reason why we're wearing it. I think that's more important than anything.
"Our guys definitely believe in diversity and the stuff we have going on with the Black excellence center that we're really excited about."
The Wisconsin women's alternate black uniforms feature a large red Motion W front and center on the jersey above the player numbers. Five red stripes run down the side of the uniform to represent the five pillars of the program: Winning Mindset, Integrity, Selflessness, Communication, and Legacy.
The UW women are scheduled to wear their black alternate uniforms for the first time on Nov. 13 in their home opener vs. North Florida. As part of UW's continued celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the UW women will wear their alternates again for future games during the months of November and December.
Neither the men's nor women's uniforms will be available for public purchase, as they were intended exclusively to be worn by the teams.
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