The Market of Alternate Uniforms and Brands

The first thing many fans notice about a team when they watch a game is the uniform. Whether it is youth sports or professional sports uniforms are arguably the most noticeable part of the sporting event. From those uniforms colleges and professional sport teams make millions of dollars a year from the revenue of those uniforms. Teams make all this money from their standard uniforms or possibly maybe one alternate style uniform that they sell a very large amount of. But what if there were more uniforms to sell? More new, flashy and unique uniforms, logos and even brands that can make an organization stand out to a consumer is a concept that can create even more apparel revenue for them.


So many apparel companies carry hats, shirt and other clothing that can contain alternate logos or color schemes. These articles are very popular among today's youth and create a niche market that is growing in size and impact. I notice the opportunity for sport franchises and colleges to capitalize on this trend through alternate uniforms. In the age of Oregon Football where there are an insane amount of uniform combinations, many consumers just tune in to see what they are wearing. There needs to be a draw to this effect through all of sport. Take the Cleveland Cavaliers for instance. I Google image searched  "Cleveland Cavaliers Logo" and found a lot of logos...none of which I can post because of copywrite laws.



These are only the recent logos, there are many throwback logos as well that can create a plethora of new and exciting uniform options for teams. The NBA is the most progressive with this idea, creating many uniforms for each of the teams including throwbacks and alternates. I feel that all the NCAA and professional teams should be on board. I go to the University of Florida, who participates in many of Nike's uniform "experiments" and I know that I would buy more of that alternate apparel if it were used more often.

These teams need to wear these options enough to show that they are prominent, but not enough to take away from the original brand. This is a very fine line but can be done. Some sports make it easier than others but it is possible for all. Also, there is some cannibalism to be expected with the addition of new logos and uniforms, but remember this is a niche market. There is always going to be the tride and true consumers that buy the original, but now there is a greater emphasis on a target market that can be drawn out and used to create more of a profit for everyone involved.