Adidas expected a pat on the back when they came up with jersey designs for Black History Month. The sportswear giant attempted to blend tradition and history while honoring a pioneer in women’s basketball as they rolled out a slew of similar-themed jerseys for games in February for their power conference and HCBU schools. But one after another the fans of these teams haven’t taken to the new designs warmly. First, it was the Texas Tech fans who were unhappy with their team’s jerseys and now Texas A&M has been on the receiving end of a design that appears uninspiring.

Texas A&M is coming off a dominant 69-53 win over Georgia. They now have four straight wins to make it to the AP Top 10 after being no.23 during the season’s opening weeks. As they look to steadily establish themselves as a top team in the SEC, it has been all things celebration for Buzz Williams’ team, or so we thought.

As the new A&M jerseys dropped on Friday, it left the fans of the program underwhelmed. A&M’s usual jerseys proudly display “Aggies” or “Texas A&M” above the number, but this time, they ditched the wordmarks entirely in favor of a lone “T” placed on the opposite side of the number. They have also switched their maroon for all-gray. A small white number is placed on the left abdomen and the top looks more like a short-sleeved t-shirt.

“The “Honoring Black Excellence” uniforms feature quilting patterns inspired by artistry, resilience, and cultural significance of quilting within black communities. The asymmetrical designs symbolize the influence of community leaders and the rich heritage of black culture,” the program shared on social media.

The sides of the uniform also have a patched pattern which left the fans scratching their heads. But these jersey patterns aren’t limited to just Texas A&M. Texas Tech, Nebraska, Kansas, and others have uniforms with a similar style and substance. But there is a story to this choice of design by Adidas.

The front design on all of these jerseys is a tribute to Lusia Harris and Delta State University’s 1970 uniforms. Harris was the only woman to be officially drafted by an NBA team after the New Orleans Jazz selected her in the seventh round of the 1977 draft. She also scored the first points in women’s basketball history at the Olympics and led Delta State to three national titles.

The side pattern, which has caught many fans by surprise, is influenced by the African American quilting tradition. A medium of cultural expression, quilting has long been associated with the African American experience.

The back of these uniforms features an AT, representing Alex Taylor, who is heading Adidas’ Black History Month campaign. Taylor is the founder of Hoop York City, a New York City-based brand and college. It provides accessible and safe opportunities for women who are former student-athletes to find their love for the sport again.

But Texas A&M fans were more opposed to the bland color scheme and the sleeved pattern which made it look like more of a practice uniform than anything else. It didn’t help that Adidas didn’t explain or in some cases even mention Harris, Delta State, or the tradition in the descriptions for the replica jerseys being sold online.

As the images for Texas A&M jerseys dropped online, fans were up in arms.

Adidas takes people back with uninspiring Texas A&M jersey design

Back in 2013, Adidas rolled out jerseys with sleeves during the NCAA postseason and they had some of the most outlandish and eye-catching colors and designs. The shorts deemed “camo” looked a lot like a Zubaz bathing suit. Hence, when these latest jerseys dropped, a fan quickly went back in time and noted, “Nothing will ever top March of 2013 as the worst month for Adidas.”

Safe to say, fans flooded the comments when Texas A&M dropped the jersey with the caption, “Empowerment through connection 🪡.“But judging by the reactions, the only thing these uniforms connected with was disappointment!

One fan didn’t hold back, taking aim at Adidas, saying, “Looks like something a 2-year-old would design.” While another fan just straight up said, ” Looks horrible lol”

This isn’t the first time Adidas has caught stray for a jersey design.

Back in 2015, Adidas had several men’s college football teams switch their classic looks for alternate jerseys, only to be met with brutal backlash. One fan summed it up, saying, “Adidas and releasing ugly a– uniforms no matter the sport.” Some things never change.

The Aggies are likely to debut the jersey for the upcoming game against John Calipari & Co., at Reed Arena on the 15th. But if you were to ask a fan, you’d never see the jersey on anyone else. “The new A&M jersey sitting on the clothing racks of the bookstore.” The fan believes these jerseys are going to be gathering dust rather than getting sold.

The paleness of the design was one thing fans couldn’t comprehend. The absence of bold maroon clearly isn’t a sight they are used to. “Are those the practice jerseys? I’m not a fan,” came another blow.

But hopefully, the intention behind the designs becomes louder with the hours. And if the Aggies manage a win against Calipari to improve 20-5, that’s all the uptick to make conversations.