The NCAA basketball uniform is a very standard and straightforward ensemble. Unlike basketball, hockey, and other major college sports – basketball does not require a single pad and most players get by with two or three pieces of attire.
The NCAA basketball uniform starts out with a jersey. The jersey will include the University’s name or nickname on the front along with a number.
On the back, you will find the jersey again and some teams allow player’s to sport their individual last name above the number.
Some jerseys are very fancy, with vibrant collars and a wild color scheme, while others stay simple and old school.
The only consistent requirement is the school’s name and number (front and back). All players on the floor must wear the same jersey. This may sound like common sense, but with multiple jerseys, sometimes the player can miss pack the wrong jersey and remain ineligible to play.
In college basketball, the NCAA basketball uniform typically consists of a “home” jersey which the team wears when playing on their home floor. The “home” uniform is generally white with the school’s primary color highlighting the name and number.
The “away” uniform is for when the team plays on the road. The jersey usually contains little to no white. The dominant color is the primary color of the school and the names and numbers are accented with the school’s secondary color.
The reason NCAA basketball uniforms appear this way is to prevent confusion between the two teams. If one team wears a standard light color uniform and the other team wears a darker color scheme – the two jerseys are hard to confuse.
Some colleges (especially big name schools), also have one “alternate” jersey. The “alternate” jersey is for special occasions or appearances on national television.
Along with every jersey (home, away, alternate) comes a pair of shorts. The shorts match the color scheme of the jersey top, so a “home” pair of shorts is dominant white while an “away” pair is darker with more school colors. Shorts allow basketball players to stand out from football, hockey, and baseball where all the teams wear long pants.
Shorts and a sleeveless jersey allow the players to sprint hard up and down the court with minimal resistance from the athletic attire.
Socks and basketball sneakers are a large part of basketball. Basketball sneakers became such a commercial extravaganza in the 1990’s that young athletes actually believed that buying a pair of Michael Jordan sponsored sneakers made you better.
Obviously that is not true, but still players love to purchase sneakers named or sponsored after their favorite professional athletes. Sneaker companies also build a multitude of color schemes to match the wide variety of school colors.
Often the team will purchase a “team sneaker” that looks the same for every player, while some players appreciate the individuality and distinction of their own personal sneakers.
Athletic socks for basketball can range from ankle, low, medium, high, and knee length. The most common types of socks for basketball are low to high. The sock needs to provide comfort, separating your ankle and foot from the sneaker.
The NCAA basketball uniform, shorts, socks, and shoes officially compose the four aspects of every college basketball team. Every player on every college basketball team must wear these four pieces of clothing at all time.
Optional accessories include headbands, armbands, knee and ankle braces, as well as mouth guards. Most of these braces and guards protect the player from injury or helps support a body part that was previously injured. Accessories like head and armbands are more for looks.