The University of Michigan men's and women's teams, along with adidas, have unveiled the lightest and most technologically advanced college basketball uniforms ever starting this season (Dec. 1). Designed and developed by adidas, the uniforms are 30 percent lighter and dry twice as fast as previous uniforms to help enhance the Wolverines' performance by keeping players cooler, drier and more comfortable on the court.
The new Michigan uniforms, made from 60 percent recycled materials, feature adidas' Formotion technology, which reduces seams, decreases friction between the garment and the player's skin and optimizes the player's natural movement through specially constructed material. adidas reduced uniform weight and increased player comfort by switching front and back numbers from heavier, dense materials to a more breathable mesh.
"Our goal at adidas is to help make athletes stronger, lighter and faster, whether you're playing in the Final Four or a pick-up game with your friends," said Travis Blasingame, adidas Basketball Apparel Global Business Unit Director. "As the official outfitter for these collegiate properties, we work closely with the teams and athletic departments to constantly innovate and improve products to help the best basketball players in the country become one step quicker and jump one inch higher."
The new Michigan uniform absorbs moisture in less than three seconds as a result of adidas CLIMACOOL fabrics. The jersey moves heat and sweat away from the body through a combination of moisture management materials, ventilation channels and three-dimensional garments, helping the uniform dry twice as quickly.
Along with Michigan, 11 other schools will debut the new uniforms this season, including University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, University of Kansas, University of Louisville, University of Nebraska, North Carolina State University, University of Notre Dame, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M University, UCLA and University of Wisconsin.
In addition to the NCAA teams wearing the new uniforms, all 30 NBA teams will wear Revolution 30 jerseys this season featuring similar adidas technology.
The new uniforms are part of an integrated and customizable uniform system that includes adidas TECHFIT padded and PowerWeb compression base layers and accessories. This system helps to improve endurance and protect athletes from injury while maintaining flexibility.
The new jerseys will be available in replica versions at campus bookstores and local sporting goods stores in mid-December. The jerseys will retail for MSRP $50-$60 and the shorts will be $45-$55.
About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world's best athletes for more than 50 years, from past legends to today's superstars, such as Dwight Howard, Candace Parker, Derrick Rose, Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups. On April 11, 2006 adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season. For more information visit www.addiasbasketball.com.