Vols Unveil New Nike Uniforms for 2017

     On Wednesday the Tennessee Volunteers unveiled to the world their newest set of Nike uniforms. Today the social media sites for Volunteers football were lighting up the internet with teaser photos of the Nike Vapor Untouchable Performance System. Although they only unveiled the primary home Orange uniform today, we as fans got a good glimpse at what the template will look like in Vols colors. 

     As you can see from a few of these pictures, a lot of the seams/panels that the Nike Mach Speed uniform template had are gone. The new Vapor Untouchable Performance System makes for a much cleaner look on players and eliminates useless mesh panels on the lower sides and around the neck. One thing that hasn't been mentioned today, the pants stripe will be a much more vibrant orange with the new Template. In teaser photos it's hard to see what the template really changes, but on Saturdays, it will be easy to see how much of an upgrade the Vapor Untouchable uniforms are.

What Nike says about the Vapor Untouchable Performance System:

     

"The Nike Vapor Untouchable uniform features an all-new chassis with minimal seams and fewer panels (five each in the jersey and pant) than traditional builds, current industry standards and previous Nike uniforms. “We removed all of the seams from the front of the jersey and shoulders to help improve stretch, mobility, range of motion and durability — insights we’ve taken directly from our athletes. This creates a shrink-wrap fit, resulting in fewer grab points for the opposing team,” explains Nate Retzlaff, Nike’s Design Director of NFL and NCAA Apparel. The 100-percent stretch-woven uniform weighs only 20.4 ounces (nearly four ounces lighter than current Nike Football uniforms) and repels water to maintain its light weight in wet conditions. Moreover, the garment wraps across the body to the back, where every piece of the jersey converges. The uniform also replaces mesh with a laser-perforated, stretch-woven material in key sweat zones (the stomach, lower back and behind the knee) to help support thermoregulation through optimal ventilation. Additional design enhancements include: a vented neck grille for improved breathability and durability, a back stretch gusset for a better fit and strategic design elements to reduce moisture marks on the stomach and back."

     So what does all that mean? Not a whole lot. But, the players will notice the difference when it comes to fit on the field and how it moves with them. As long as it works for them, it's worth the upgrade. From an aesthetics point of view, the clean lines and fewer panels makes it easy on the eyes. The white away jerseys and the Smokey Grey Alternate have yet to be unveiled. while there won't be any uniform overhauling, the uniform template will force some kind of changes.

Photos via @Vol_Football and @Vol_Photos on twitter.