College football uniforms: a debate between classic and combos

When it comes to uniforms in college football, it's a debate between consistency and combinations. During the turn of the century, more and more college football teams have adopted newer designs for their football uniforms and even multiple combinations. Now in days, there is a divided between the modern look and the classic look.

Teams with the modern look, have either a modern design but just one for the road and two tops for away like, or a simple design but multiple combinations.

The classic look teams aren't going anywhere. Those teams have tradition and an everlasting identity. Teams like USC, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Ohio State and quite frankly every other traditional big time program has one set of uniforms that have stood the test of time.

Arizona (a great example because I'm from there) has been on both sides for the entire 21st century. For the most part of Arizona's football history, the Wildcats had white helmets, blue jerseys and white pants during home games, and white helmets, white jerseys and blue or white pants for road games. That was their identity during the 1980's and 1990's, the prime of their program.

In 2004, Mike Stoops was hired as head coach and ushered in a new era for Arizona Football. He brought in new modern uniforms, officially joining the trend of modern uniforms in college football. Under Stoops, the Wildcats went to three straight bowl games from 2008-2010.

Before his departure, he and the Wildcats joined a new trend of modern uniforms, simple design with multiple combinations, joining today's big time programs such as Oregon, and Oklahoma State. A year later, Arizona State joined the party with new uniforms of their own, adding a modern element to the classic rivalry.

This trend likely started in Miami of all places, when the always brash Miami Hurricanes started the 21st century with new modern uniforms with five different combinations from 2000-2003, their most formidable years. Then it was taken to a whole new level when Nike entrepreneur Phil Knight began to pump in money for his beloved Oregon Ducks and making them the powerhouse that they are. Now Nike has new uniform designs for teams both classic and modern for every special occasion.

Why do many teams do this? The simple answer is for recruiting purposes. Young athletes have become more flashy and live by the motto, "look good, feel good, play good." There is no coincidence as to why teams that have these new uniforms dominate their competition and play in BCS bowl games like the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl. Yet at the same time, the traditional big named programs are still winning despite still carrying the same old plain uniforms.

Who knows which is right and which is wrong? All we know is that this is a trend that is widening the gap between the old and the new and we as fans are going to have to pick sides.