Rick Barnes has proven he can evolve with the ever-changing landscape of college basketball and college athletics. Whether on or off the court, Barnes continues to evolve and improve as a coach, and that includes his willingness to adapt Tennessee's uniforms.
As a result of Barnes' evolution, Tennessee basketball has announced it will debut "dark mode" uniforms for the first time in program history. The Vols' basketball program joins the growing number of teams on Rocky Top adopting dark-mode uniforms after the football team debuted its dark-mode uniforms in 2021.
the nightmare before Christmas
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 2, 2024
Dark Mode debuts Tuesday 🟠⚫️
tickets → https://t.co/Xj6Lhkg4dG@DICKS pic.twitter.com/WhMwoxObwQ
Tennessee baseball won a national championship while wearing dark mode uniforms, and now Barnes is looking to create some of the same magic on the hardwood.
The Vols' new basketball uniforms share the same wordmark and font as the baseball program's jersey. The black top is contrasted with an orange "VOLS" across the chest in the Nike font Tennessee adopted when switching from Adidas to the Swoosh in 2015.
The dark mode uniforms are simply beautiful. It is a break from tradition and will be different seeing Tennessee on the hardwood without wearing primarily orange or white, but the college basketball world is dominated by recruiting, and alternate uniforms play a role in the recruiting process for high school recruits and potential transfer players.
While the black uniforms are a new look for Tennessee, it's not the first time Tennessee will wear the "VOLS" Nike script across the chest on a jersey a few shades darker than orange. Tennessee briefly wore Smokey Grey uniforms to honor past Tennessee basketball teams.
Our new Nike Smokey Grey uniformss incorporate elements from Tennessee teams in 1909-10, 1911-12 and 1940-41. pic.twitter.com/Jpc2tELEQr
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) July 2, 2015
Tennessee is 1-0 this season when wearing its Smokey Grey uniforms. The #Vols defeated Florida on Jan. 6. pic.twitter.com/LECzm3uPBi
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 20, 2016
Tennessee is set to debut the new dark mode uniforms on Tuesday against Syracuse. The Orange come to town with a 4-2 record and will look to get back on the right track after dropping two of its last three games.
The Vols rose to No. 3 in the AP Poll after another dominant week and improved to 7-0 on the year. This game will be Syracuse's first road game of the season, and the Vols will be juiced and ready to go as they look to win their first game in their new university. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET on ESPN.