'Our guys love it': Josh Heupel explains why Tennessee keeps wearing alternate uniforms
When No. 21 Tennessee hosts South Carolina Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, the Vols will wear their fifth different uniform combination through the first five games of the season. Against the Gamecocks they’ll be decked out in their ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniform.
The all-black look — black helmets, black jerseys and black pants, trimmed in orange accents — made its debut in Tennessee’s 44-6 win over Kentucky last October, another night game at Neyland Stadium, and will be back on display when Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) and South Carolina (2-2, 1-1) on Saturday kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on SEC Network.
“Our guys love it,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday during his weekly appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “First of all, we love wearing the orange and the white. But to be able to mix it up a little bit, hope they guys have some fun with it.
“(The players) do enjoy being able to wear those and, again, it’s a part of recruiting too for us.”
No. 21 Tennessee vs. South Carolina, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Tennessee wore its traditional home uniform of orange jerseys and white pants in the 49-13 win over Virginia on September 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. They opened the home schedule
The Vols wore orange pants and orange jerseys in the win over UTSA on Saturday. They were in the ‘Artful Dodger’ Smokey Grey alternate uniform in the 30-13 win over Austin Peay on September 9.
It was white helmets, white jerseys and white pants in the 29-16 loss to Florida on September 16 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Last week Tennessee wore white helmets, orange jerseys and orange pants in the 45-14 win over UTSA.
Tennessee wore a black uniform the last time South Carolina came to Knoxville, introducing a black alternate uniform in a 45-20 win over the Gamecocks on October 9, 2021 at Neyland Stadium. The look included orange jerseys and orange pants but was paired with a white helmet, which had a black facemask and orange Power T’s and an orange helmet stripe, all trimmed in black.
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Vols used four different helmets over 13 games last season
Last season Tennessee wore four different helmets, along with the ‘Dark Mode’ and Smokey Grey alternate uniforms, over 13 games. There was the traditional white helmet, the black helmet, the Smokey Grey helmet and an orange helmet the Vols wore at South Carolina.
Heupel first discussed the possibility of different uniforms at SEC Media Days in July 2021, before his first season as Tennessee’s head coach.
“As we move forward, it may be different opportunities as far as what the uniform looks like when you run out on the field,” Heupel said at the time. “Look good, feel good, play good.
“We want to create a positive player experience from the moment that they step on campus until they’re done (and) have a long-term relationship with them that lasts forever.”
