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The Northern Illinois Huskies will have some icy new threads to wear against Nebraska on Saturday afternoon.
THe uniforms were unveiled to the players and then Instagram and Twitter late Wednesday night and will most likely be formally introduced later this week.
The all-white uniform, supplied by adidas, goes for an old-school look somewhat similar to an alternative uniform NIU wore in 2015 vs. Toledo when they upset the then-undefeated Rockets, but there are some few key differences, as can be gleaned from photos.
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The first major difference is a seeming de-emphasis of black as an accent color. This would make sense, with adidas premiering new “ICE” looks for select squads, such as fellow MAC member CMU, who wore the all-white look twice in 2016. Rather than white, the numbers and letters are outlined in thick white and thin red.
Another key difference is the use of “NIU” instead of “Huskies” in a smaller font. The number font is the same as the third alt form 2015, but different from the Huskies’ normal number font, which is sharper and more narrow.
Perhaps the most contrasting difference is the shoulder stripe design and helmet. The 2017 kit goes for a simpler, thiner look and what looks like space for a logo, although with the visual fidelity, that detail remains uncertain until better photos are released.
THe helmet is perhaps the starkest difference, as it sports a mettalic blood red stripe down the middle, a feature that I cannot immediately recall on any NIU helmet. The helmet also features a number on both sides, eschewing the traditional “NIU” look the Huskies have work since de-emphasizing the Huskie head logo for football.
There will also likely be a name on the back, another difference from the blank 2015 third kit.
We’re yet to know if they’ll adopt the look for the rest of the season or not, but it’s a fairly solid look that pays homage to a great kit with a good memory attached to it.