Tennessee Lady Vols’ new ‘Summitt Blue’ uniforms show Danny White gets it

Ever since taking over as athletic director, Danny White has understood the art of finding new ways to inject flare into the program with old traditions. There’s no greater example of that than what just happened with the Tennessee Lady Vols.

Four Lady Vol sports, according to UTSports, have unveiled “Summitt Blue” uniforms that they will wear this year. This is part of the “Summitt Legacy” series that will take place this year, a way to celebrate Pat Summitt and the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

These uniforms will heavily incorporate the blue color that has been a part of the Tennessee Lady Vols tradition. Soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball and softball will all wear a variation of them. The actual look of the soccer and volleyball uniforms were revealed Thursday.

Smokey grays and black jerseys have been a thing for football and men’s basketball the past decade. They have been a great way to generate excitement within the fan base. Women’s basketball also has a pink alternate uniform for breast cancer awareness.

However, White clearly understands that such fun football jerseys need to be incorporated into women’s basketball. Given the history of the Carolina Blue color that is part of the Lady Vols, he was able to add in that fun with a long tradition.

The Lady Vol blue became part of the program in the 1960s, when Joan Cronan was looking for a way to give the women’s basketball program an identity while finding a color that works with orange. It took and has been a huge part of the tradition.

Such was that tradition that when Dave Hart removed the Lady Vols name for every sport except women’s basketball, it generated a huge outcry. John Currie, for his credit, restored it, but White did the right thing taking it to the next level.

Unlike other programs across the country, the Tennessee Lady Vols have a unique identity and take a toon of pride in their women’s teams. It’s something special given the legacy of Summitt and what she was able to build with the women’s basketball program.

Now, for certain games, that legacy will be on full display to recruits and prospects in every women’s sport across the country. White is doubling down and reminding young, female athletes about the lead UT took in supporting women’s sports.

That’s what helps make this a huge deal. Similar to him restoring the V-O-L-S letters at Neyland Stadium, White understands better than most how to preserve traditions while adding new, fun things. This was just another example.

Women’s basketball and softball will reveal their uniforms later in the year. Based on what was shown by the soccer and volleyball programs, they will probably look epic, and they will definitely make the Tennessee Lady Vols stand out.