Last week I wrote a Uni Watch column about whether Penn State should change its football uniforms in response to the sex abuse scandal. The piece generated a fair amount of discussion and response from readers.
Penn State's official comment for that column was "As of today, the uniforms will be the same as in 2011." The key phrase there may have been "As of today," because the Nittany Lions are apparently considering a uniform change after all, although it might not happen in time for this season.
That's the word from head coach Bill O'Brien. Since being hired back in January, O'Brien has consistently stated that the team will not change its uniforms. But he apparently changed his tune during a Tuesday night conference call with parents of current PSU players. According to this article in the Reading Eagle, "O'Brien also told the parents that he has talked to Nike about changing Penn State's plain blue and white uniforms, a staple of the program for decades under former coach Joe Paterno. He also said he's looking to put names on the back of the jerseys. 'It might be easier said than done (for this season),' he said. 'I'm not sure we can get it done this year.'"
Although the uniform quote was buried toward the bottom of that article, Penn State fans noticed. Response on PSU message boards was swift, with opinion roughly split between "They better not!" and "Hey, it'll help with recruiting."
Of course, given the sanctions levied on Penn State by the NCAA earlier this week, it may take more than a flashy new uniform to attract new recruits.