The UAM Boll Weevils have recently announced a kit change, which will return them to their traditional green and white uniform after several years in black and green. The team is based at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and plays in the NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference, as well as the Great American Conference.

Football and athletics have been a major part of the technical and vocational college since its formation in 1909, and the side have been long-established in college football. As well as football, the college has successful basketball, golf and baseball sides, and the Cotton Blossoms, a  female athletics program.

The uniform change was prompted by new coach Hud Jackson, who wanted to bring the side back to its traditional roots as part of a larger branding scheme for the athletics department. The kit will be all green with white trim for home games, and all white with green trim.

The Weevils play their home games at the Willis ‘Convoy’ Leslie Cotton Boll stadium in Monticello, and will officially debut the uniform on their September 1st season opener against Shepherd Tech. Of the eleven games that the Weevils will play in this season’s main league, six will be held at the arena.

For the last few years the Weevils have been using a black and green Nike designed uniform, which was the preferred option under former coach Gwaine Matthews. The new uniform is designed by the Under Armour brand, and is tailored to combine athletic performance with tradition. As a result, the Weevils name and logo will be positioned on the jersey, while the cartoon Boll Weevil mascot of the college will be featured on the uniform’s helmet.

The decision was partly motivated by the desire for a tighter fitting, more versatile design, and was voted in by a college leadership council of staff, players and students. UAM’s Athletic Director Chris Ratcliff positioned the deal as a way of establishing a consistent brand and logo for the whole athletics department.

The switch to Under Armour reflects the popularity of the brand, who were formed in 1996 around an innovative approach to reducing sweat and moisture for shirt fabric. The Under Armour design promotes better absorption, and became the foundation for the brand’s international success.

The brand sponsors high-profile football stars like Tom Brady and Ray Lewis in the United States, and also produces kits for European teams. The UAM switch extends Under Armour’s extensive relationship with American colleges, with other clients including Boston College Eagles and Hawaii Warriors.

The Weevils have had a chance to test out their new look in training camps across the summer, as well as by taking part in the University of Arkansas youth football camp, which brings together children from the Southern Arkansas area for days of drills and team building exercises. UAM are hoping that the promotion of their sports brand through new uniforms will help build the reputation of a college that attracts 3,300 students a year.

Writing on behalf of Matrix Beauty Uniforms, freelance professional guest author Christina Appleworth reviews the all new University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils football uniform.