As first reported by Eleven Warriors and confirmed during Tuesday's team photo shoot, the Ohio State football team will be switching to Nike's Vapor Untouchable template for the 2017 season. It will replace the Mach Speed template, which has been worn since the beginning of the 2014 season.
Rock 'N Roll! @OhioStateFB Photo Day is underway inside the WHAC
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) July 25, 2017
ohiostate-fb / snap_brutus
More https://t.co/He7w8aQLnY#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/r2tcbQaUCZ
The Vapor Speed template, which you may recall was used with the Buckeyes' 1916 throwback uniform for the 62-3 win over Nebraska and the throwback road uniforms worn in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson, features minimal seams and fewer panels than previous Nike builds.
From the shoe and apparel company:
“We removed all of the seams from the front of the jersey and shoulders to help improve stretch, mobility, range of motion and durability — insights we’ve taken directly from our athletes. This creates a shrink-wrap fit, resulting in fewer grab points for the opposing team,” explains Nate Retzlaff, Nike’s Design Director of NFL and NCAA Apparel.
The Vapor Untouchable template was first worn by Oregon during the 2016 Alamo Bowl. It was used on various alternate uniforms throughout the season and then distributed to the four teams that participated last year's College Football Playoff.
Unless any major design changes happen in the month between now and the Aug. 31 season opener against Indiana, Ohio State's uniforms will not feature Buckeye Leafs in the numbers or the predominately gray sleeve stripes as teased in the media guide last week.
The word “Buckeyes” will remain on the back collar, where it has been since it replaced the seven Buckeye Leafs, signifying the program's then-seven national championships, in 2015.
For those who don't see a difference between Ohio State's 2016 and 2017 uniforms: pic.twitter.com/W545avAcTx
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) July 25, 2017
