Going, Going, Gold.

The Sun Devils last wore gold jerseys in 1990. For the old hats, the ones that have conscious memory of it, and even those that have heard the stories and googled the images, the idea of bringing back gold uniforms has been unacceptable. Unfathomable. Blasphemous, even. And who could blame them? A couple of embarrassing losses, 3 mismatched tones of gold in helmet, jersey, and pants. Who would ever want that to return?

But for others, uniform-heads such as myself and you wonderful folks reading this very article, there has been a “what if?” hanging in the air as materials have improved and become more

refined in the past 31 years.

NOTE: The following is NOT the uniform that will be worn for the Sun Devils’ game against Southern Utah this Thursday.

Well, if you haven’t heard, the wait is over. Gold jerseys are back, and they’re accompanied by a couple of new elements to boot. As for the biggest newsmaker, the gold jersey, there are some elements new and old that have intertwined to bring together its final look. The major template that is being utilized is reminiscent of the 1996 jersey.

There is a maroon plain text, all-caps “ARIZONA STATE” on the front chest of the jersey paired with block maroon numbers with a metallic gold border. There is a metallic gold Pac 12 shield with maroon font on the right shoulder and a maroon adidas logo on the left shoulder. The nameplate on the back uses the same classic text font as well. The shoulders boast a stylized Arizona state flag with maroon and metallic gold stripes, as well as a maroon star outlined with metallic gold. There are also additional maroon player numbers with metallic gold borders atop each shoulder.

Another new element can be found in the alternate maroon pants that feature the retro “ASU” letter mark from the 70s and 80s in gold print on the right hip and a gold adidas logo on the left hip.

A number of other special elements are introduced along with the jersey and pants as well. First, and most obvious, is a gold helmet with a large Sparky decal, maroon facemask, and maroon center stripe. This is the first ever deviation from the traditional Sparky decal for ASU football and will hopefully allow for more creativity with our smiling mascot in the future. This is also a great time to point out that the gold helmets are no longer matte but have instead returned to the more traditional gloss gold that ASU had become known for, for decades.

New gold AdiZero cleats are also being introduced. They have a traditional gold base and sole, gold tongue, laces, and finger loop with maroon “Forks Up” text on the heel. There are three maroon adidas stripes on the outside of the cleat near the toe, a maroon adidas logo on the top of the tongue, and a maroon AdiZero logo with a digital ghost effect on the instep.

There are a couple of other elements unique to this uniform as well. Brand new maroon gloves will be worn with this combination. The palms of these gloves mimic the shoulders of the jerseys as they feature a maroon base with a stylized Arizona state flag with maroon and metallic gold stripes, as well as a maroon star outlined with metallic gold. The other extra element is the gold undershirt which also has a stylized Arizona state flag but instead has both traditional ASU gold and metallic gold stripes as well as a maroon star outlined with metallic gold on the chest. Below that state flag is a larger, bolder version of the maroon “ARIZONA STATE” in plain text and outlined in metallic gold.

Reaction

This is proof that gold can be done better now than the tragic attempt that took place over 30 years ago. It’s exciting that we get to see a modern version of a gold jersey and that we can strive to see winning results while wearing them with a team that is ripe with talent.

That being said, there are a couple of things that I would like to see changed. The metallic gold print is at the top of that list. It doesn’t necessarily bother me as the outline of the player numbers, but otherwise doesn’t fit well in the scheme of the jersey, especially one that relies so heavily on the traditional sunflower gold that ASU is known for. That is most prevalent on the shoulder, where the metallic gold is utilized most heavily in the stylized state flag. It seems to clash a bit with the rest of the uniform. A change to a maroon sublimated state flag on the shoulder would be a bit more subtle and understated but “clean,” as the kids like to say.

Since we’re talking about the style of the shoulder, I’m also iffy on the fact that it is primarily maroon. I do appreciate the idea of bringing the darker maroon in to give the jersey more depth than just being bright and loud, but I can’t help but wonder how it would look if the sleeve was gold and had the maroon numbers moved from on top of the shoulder the side of the shoulder where the flag currently lies.

Overall, I’m a fan of this jersey itself, as well as the uniform in its entirety. I am excited to see it on the field later this season, as that is always the true test as to how well a design is executed. It is one thing to see it in pics here, but one can never really know how successful of a look it is until 11 guys are all wearing it proudly on the gridiron. All that said, I’m truly excited to see the day that a gold jersey returned to ASU’s uniform arsenal, and most of all, I want to see it worn in a winning effort, something I think we all agree on.