, more schools are using treDCALs, which are three-dimensional

Aitor Karanka has told Sky Sports he never wanted to leave Middlesbrough and said it was upsetting to hear reports claiming he told his players he didnt want to manage them anymore.The 42-year-old looked set to be leaving the Riverside Stadium at the weekend when it emerged he had left the clubs Rockliffe Park training headquarters suddenly and unexpectedly after a team meeting. FL72 Podcast Aitor Karanka explains a dramatic week at Middlesbrough -listen here Karanka was not in the dug-out for Sundays 2-0 Sky Bet Championship defeat at Charlton, but the club announced on Monday evening that he would resume his role as head coach with immediate effect. Karanka looked set to be leaving the Riverside Stadium at the weekend Asked by Sky Sports Jonathan Oakes if he had told the players he did not want to manage them anymore as per the rumours, Karanka said: They knew my position, and this is maybe one of the things that hurts me a lot.When I heard that there were problems with the changing room, when I have been here for two-and-a-half years and they have given me everything.When I came here we were fighting in the relegation positions, and now we are near the top of the table. Middlesbrough are looking to return to the top flight after a seven-year absence That change is because we have an amazing relationship. So it was more difficult for me to hear, because we were fighting together, and it was difficult for me especially when it is not true.Karanka held a meeting with his players and staff on Tuesday to thrash out the way forward after chairman Steve Gibson had moved to find a solution and refocus attention on the clubs bid for a return to the Premier League after a seven-year absence.The Spaniard told Sky Sports that himself and Gibson didnt need to agree something because there was never a disagreement, but admits the past week caused concern within his family. Middlesbrough sit third in the Championship, a point behind the automatic promotion spots with a game in hand I cant deny every single rumour, Karanka said. Sometimes I wanted to cry, sometimes I wanted to laugh.The worst thing was that my family in Spain were hearing a lot of things and sometimes they called me and were concerned because they read things, heard that something wasnt good for me.There were moments in these two days where my family called me. Those were the worst moments for me because if I would have liked to leave today or after the game on Sunday I had more chances to leave, because the team lost the game, so I never wanted to leave. I have an amazing squad, I have always said that.Middlesbrough sit third in the Championship, a point behind the automatic promotion spots with a game in hand, and face Hull on Friday evening at the Riverside, live on Sky Sports 1HD.Watch the extended interview with Karanka before the match on Friday from 7pm.Also See:Karanka never wanted to leaveSix more FL games on SkyKaranka staying with BoroMiddlesbrough newsCheap Magic Jerseys . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Custom Magic Jerseys . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. http://www.custommagicjersey.com/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Magic Jerseys China . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. Custom Magic T-shirts . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division.Ready or not, its time for the annual Uni Watch College Football Season Preview, our jumbo compendium of all the FBS uniform changes for the upcoming season. Or as some of you like to call it, Christmas in August.As usual, weve prepared a comprehensive team-by-team rundown, organized by conference. In addition to uniform changes, weve included updates to logos, equipment, field designs and anything else related to a teams visual program. If a school isnt listed here, that means it hasnt announced any changes for this year, at least that were aware of. (Although schools will undoubtedly be unveiling additional uniforms and helmets -- blackout, whiteout, camouflage, stars and stripes, chrome and so on -- as the season progresses.)Ready?Deep breath -- here we go:Jump to a conference:ACC | American | Big Ten | Big 12 | Conference USA | Independents | MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun BeltACC? Boston College has a decent-looking new uniform set, although the pants striping -- something being worn by more and more Under Armour-outfitted schools -- feels like an unnecessary addition. Also, when the Eagles open the season by playing Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, theyll have lots of new gear for the occasion:Additionally, the Eagles will retire former quarterback Matt Ryans number prior to the Nov. 19 game against UConn:? There are several small changes for Clemson, the most notable of which is that the tiger paw graphic has been moved from the sleeves to the shoulders, with TV numbers now appearing on the sleeves (additional photos and info here):In addition, Clemson will once again wear purple jerseys -- symbolizing the Purple Heart -- for Military Appreciation Day on Nov. 5 against Syracuse:? The arrows on Florida States field are now shaped like spearheads:? Sources indicate that Miami might scrap its feather striping and go with a simpler look as soon as can get the jerseys in (additional info here):? North Carolina will wear its blue jerseys on the road for the season-opening game against Georgia on Saturday, creating what should be a very good-looking color-versus-color matchup:Although not shown in that photo, both teams will be wearing a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game jersey patch:Also, the Tar Heels have new footwear and new gloves. And in what might be the subtlest move of the year, theyve added their team name to their chinstraps: In addition, defensive back?Patrice Rene, whos Canadian, and punter Tom Sheldon, whos Australian, will be wearing their national flags, instead of the?American flag, on the back of their helmets:Finally, on the merchandise front, UNC is one of several schools that have decided to stop selling jerseys with the uni numbers of star players. The idea is to avoid any lawsuits or ethical issues that might arise from profiting off of the identities of amateur student-athletes. The only numbers available this year will be 89 and 16. Details here.? NC State will celebrate Carter-Finley Stadiums 50th anniversary by wearing a throwback uniform, including a very sharp-looking helmet, for the Oct. 8 game against Notre Dame (additional info here): ? Pitt fans have been clamoring for the school to bring back its old script logo for years. Now theyve finally gotten their wish, and for the most part, it looks great; although the new number font -- blocky on the outside but curvy on the inside -- is an odd one (additional photos here):And in an additional blast from the past, Pitt will wear throwbacks against Georgia Tech on Oct. 8 (and coach Pat Narduzzi says the retro design might be worn more than once):? Virginias new uniforms feature, among other things, helmets with the team logo on one side and the players uniform number on the other (additional photos here):? Virginia Techs athletics department has gotten a schoolwide makeover. For the football team, that means a fairly clean, straightforward look, including the streamlined number font that all of the schools teams will now be wearing (additional photos and info here and here): In addition, the Hokies will have a Hokie Stone-themed uniform for the Battle at Bristol game against Tennessee on Sept. 10, which will take place at Bristol Motor Speedway (additional info here). Its an interesting uni, but man, that is one big, honking jersey patch: That Bristol game, incidentally, also features its own trophy:Also, look for the Hokies to be doing color-out games on Sept. 17 (white, against Boston College), Sept. 24 (orange, against East Carolina),and Oct. 20 (maroon, against Miami):Back to topAmerican Athletic? Cincinnatis new jerseys feature a cartoon bearcat sleeve patch that is -- how shall we put this? -- not good:? East Carolina has switched from Nike to Adidas, which has given the Pirates a new number font that looks very Baltimore Ravens-esque, especially given the schools color scheme:? Houston has made a small adjustment, swapping out the contrast-colored sleeves for two sleeve stripes. The resulting uniform doesnt look bad, but it probably looks too much like Nebraskas or Wisconsins:? SMU?has seriously downplayed its chest mark and also added some sleeve stripes, which seem unnecessary:? Lots of new uni elements for Tulane, including a powder blue jersey, a matte green helmet, new striping on the white helmet and more: Even better, the teams awesome Angry Wave logo -- a favorite of new athletic director Troy Dannen -- is poised to assume a more prominent status in the teams marketing and will reportedly be worn on the teams helmets for the season opener against Wake Forest on Thursday.? Tulsa has switched from Nike to Adidas, which has taken the Golden Hurricanes helmet script and repurposed it as a chest mark -- a big improvement over the previous chest lettering (although it would be an even bigger improvement if the Adidas logo were up on the shoulder, instead of at the sternum):Interestingly, the team will wear white for the season-opening home game against San Jose State on Saturday and is calling upon fans to wear white, as well:? UCFs updated look allows for a near-limitless number of uniform combinations:Included is a pointed helmet stripe based on a knights helmet. There are lots of details on that and other nuances in the following video clip (and theres additional info and imagery on this very informative page):Meanwhile, UCF has also released a game-by-game guide to indicate which colors fans should wear to this seasons home games:? USF has announced its uniform combo for the season-opening game against Towson on Saturday:Back to topBig Ten? Lots of excitement at Michigan, where the schools eight-year run with Adidas is over and the school is now being outfitted by Nike, which has assigned the football team to its Jordan sub-brand. This presents the odd scenario of a football team wearing uniforms with the Jumpman basketball logo, but the Wolverines uniforms are otherwise pretty similar to what theyve been wearing in recent years (additional photos here): In another Wolverines note, quarterback?John OKorn?--?who wore No. 5 while playing for Houston in 2013 and 2014 and again while serving on the Michigan scout team last season -- is now wearing No. 8:Finally, if youre wondering whether the new Nike contract will result in Michigan wearing lots of alternate uniforms, athletic director Warde Manuel said?that will be up to coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff.? Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys plans to start rewarding players for on-field performance by issuing small gold brick helmet decals. No visuals on them yet, unfortunately, but expect to start seeing them after the first game of the year.? Nebraska will wear a white-and-chrome alternate uniform for the Sept. 24 game at Northwestern (further info here):? A few changes for Northwestern, including some very unfortunate striping on the pants:? A century ago, back in 1916, Ohio State wore this uniform. The Buckeyes are reviving that design this season as a throwback for the Nov. 5 game against Nebraska (additional info here): Also, the numerals on Ohio States regular jerseys will now have buckeye icons sublimated into the fabric:And if you cant get enough Buckeyes uniform content, check out the new Ohio State Uniform Database -- a great resource for Buckeyes fans (or, really, for college football fans).? No on-field uniform changes for Penn State (shocker), but the Nittany Lions are one of several teams that are cutting back on merchandise offerings. Retail jerseys will now be available only in Nos. 1, 16 and 94. The idea is to avoid any legal problems that might arise from profiting off of amateur student-athletes.? Purdue has used its longstanding cowcatcher design motif to create a new shoulder stripe pattern (additional photos and info here): ? Rutgers fans were reportedly unhappy with the schools uniforms in recent years. They should like the new ones, which feel classic without being too stuffy (additional info here): ? Over at Wisconsin, Adidas is out and Under Armour is in, although the new outfitter hasnt exactly made radical changes to the Badgers look: Also: When the Badgers open the season by hosting LSU on Saturday, the game will take place at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. The game has its own Packers-themed logo (additional info here):Big 12? Baylor allowed fans to vote on the uniform combination the team should wear for its season-opening game against Northwestern State on Friday. The fans got this one right, choosing a gold helmet with a green jersey and gold pants -- a very good look:? Iowa State has a new white helmet option that looks very, very good (additional info here): ? Oklahoma States new uniforms feature decorative trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs, a new number font and more (additional photos and info here): ? Texas has new shoes, along with an assortment of new glove designs: ? West Virginia was tinkering with mountaineer-themed merit decals for its spring game earlier this year. A team spokesman said it hasnt yet been decided whether decals will be used during the regular season:One thing thats confirmed, though, is that the Mountaineers will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of their football program with a new logo, which theyll wear on their helmets for the season-opening game against Missouri on Sept. 3:In addition, West Virginia will have new turf, with a slightly more prominent midfield logo:Back to topConference USA? Louisiana Tech has added red pants to its wardrobe, as you can see in this video clip showing the teams current range of uni-combo options:? With four jersey colors, four pants, five helmets, three socks, three gloves and four shoes, Middle Tennessee?is claiming to have 2,880 conceivable uniform combinations. Assuming 12 games per season, thats enough to last 240 years without any repetition. Impressive! Of course, its vaaaaguely possible that theyll get an entirely new uniform set before then.? Old Dominion is adding a blackout uniform:? Western Kentucky, one of the last FBS schools still outfitted by Russell Athletic, has a fairly straightforward new set (addditional photos and info here), along with a new wordmark: Independents? Nothing new has been announced for Brigham Young, but you can reminisce about BYU history with this handy rundown of the schools past uniforms:? Notre Dames annual Shamrock Series game will take place in San Antonio on Nov.dddddddddddd 12. The opposing team will be Army, so the Fighting Irish are going with a military uniform theme, complete with a shade of green that really puts the drab in olive drab: Meanwhile, in a development that will probably end up confusing fans and spotters alike, Irish coach Brian Kelly plans to rotate uniform Nos. 1 through 9 among his players on a weekly basis, awarding the single-digit numbers based on performance and character (additional info here).Back to topMAC? Akron has switched to a somewhat bloated-looking number font and has also added a new white helmet option:? Ball State has worn black uniforms before, but its latest version changes the face mask from black to white (an upgrade), the jersey graphics from white to red (a downgrade) and the chest lettering from the school name to the team name (a wash): In addition, the Cardinals are planning to wear a stars-and-stripes helmet at some point this season, and theyve also added a red helmet, with their standard logo on one side and a wordmark on the other: ? Bowling Green is planning a Military Appreciation Day promotion for its Sept. 10 game against North Dakota. The team will wear commemorative helmets featuring a stars-and-stripes version of teams helmet logo, along with a center stripe containing the names of the 111 Bowling Green students who have died during military service (further info here): In addition, the Falcons have installed a new synthetic turf surface at Doyt Perry Stadium:? Buffalo has dropped the New York chest mark, which always felt like a stretch, and is going with a much cleaner, less cluttered look (additional info here): In addition, the Bulls will honor former player Solomon Jackson, who died earlier this year, by wearing the motto All 41 on their nose bumpers (additional info here):Buffalo also has a new turf design:? Central Michigan has a new field design (further info here):? Lots of new uni combos for Eastern Michigan. Unfortunately, the jersey numbers still have the diamondplate pattern, a tired design cliché that really needs to be mothballed.? Kent State is one of many Under Armour-outfitted schools with pants striping this year: ? Remember those embarrassing Miami (Ohio) uniforms, with the lettering across the shoulders and the comic book helmet? Theyve toned all of that down this year (here are more photos and info):And just in case you couldnt keep your Miamis straight, the Redhawks have added an Ohio-themed logo patch to the back of their jersey: ? When Northern Illinois and Toledo face off on Nov. 9, the game will take place at a baseball stadium -- U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Heres how they plan to position the gridiron on the diamond:? Holy Toledo! New fade-to-gold helmet this year for the Rockets:? Western Michigan has executed what it calls a subtle yet sophisticated update to its logo and branding (further info here, and theres a style guide available here):Mountain West? Air Force is using a sharks tooth motif, taken from old P-40 fighter planes in World War II, as the basis for a very cool alternate helmet, which will be worn against Georgia State on Sept. 10: ? Your friendly uniform columnist is a big fan of green and gold, so Colorado States unis are usually a big hit around here. Sure enough, the schools latest design is a winner, although the team name on the left pant leg seems like overkill (additional photos here):? Weve seen lots of teams going with a logo on one side of the helmet and a uni number on the other. A less common approach is the use of two separate logos, which is what Nevada is doing this season:? San Jose State will be opening the season on Saturday in Tulsa, where the Golden Hurricane has opted to wear white at home, so the Spartans will wear their blue jerseys on the road. A team spokesman said San Jose State might wear blue on the road for one additional game this season, although that isnt yet final.? Wyomings brown-and-yellow color scheme has always been an acquired taste for some folks. But if you can live with the colors, theres no denying that the Cowboys new uniforms are their strongest in years (lots of photos here):Back to topPac-12? Lots of new glove designs for Arizona State:In addition, a Phoenix TV station has launched a new online column devoted to the Sun Devils uniforms (full details here):? Nothing new to report for Cal, although you can expect changes next season, when the schools new deal with Under Armour kicks in. For now, its worth noting that the Golden Bears will be giving away a very cool Marshawn Lynch bobblehead on Nov. 5:? Colorado has issued a chart indicating how often various uniform components will be worn this season (gold helmets six times, black jerseys seven times and so on) but with no indication of how theyll be mixed and matched or which elements will be worn for which games (although one intrepid observer has tried to decode the chart):? Oregon hasnt officially announced anything yet, but some retail jerseys that have been floating around show a new feather pattern on the jersey shoulders, and that same pattern has appeared on the teams goalpost padding during practices, so that seems like a pretty good indication of what the next generation of Ducks uniforms might look like:In addition, the Ducks showcased a new charcoal uniform during a recent photo shoot:? Last season,?Oregon States white helmet had a white face mask with buck tooth center striping, which looked a bit awkward. This season, its just solid black:Also: Lots of teams award merit decals that the players wear on their game helmets, but the Beavers have been using them for practice helmets (additional info here).? Hallelujah: UCLAs shoulder stripes, which in recent years have been pitifully truncated and woefully tinkered with, have finally been restored to something approximating their proper length and shape (additional photos and info here):? Very minor adjustments for USC, mostly involving the jersey collar. Details in this video clip:? Utah has a new helmet stripe, which looks very good, and is also adding a mortarboard helmet decal for its early graduates:In addition, the video display on the giant screen at the Utes stadium has been enlarged, making it one of the largest in the NCAA:SEC? No changes for Alabama, but its worth noting that the team now has a display featuring a helmet from each of the schools national championship years:? Arkansas players who have earned their degrees but are still playing out their final year of eligibility will wear a Graduate patch (further info here):? You can move?Auburn to the list of schools that are adding their team logo to their thigh pads:? Florida has put out a guide telling fans which colors they should wear for this seasons home games:Whatever the fans wear, they might notice a few new details this year at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, including new end zone pylons and newly designed kicking nets:Meanwhile, the field itself is being named after Gators legend Steve Spurrier (additional info here):? When Georgia opens the season by hosting North Carolina on Saturday, both teams will be wearing their home jerseys, creating a very eye-pleasing color-versus-color scenario:In addition, the Bulldogs will wear black jerseys for a home game this season, although its not yet clear when that will happen.? Kentuckys new uniform set features jerseys, pants and helmets all rendered in three colors -- blue, black, and white -- which should allow for a lot of mixing and matching. All of the jerseys have checkerboard-patterned sleeves (a nod to Secretariat) and blue collars (a salute to Kentuckys working class). The schools UK logo has been tweaked, as well.The Wildcats also have a new secondary logo, which has shown up on a couple of sample helmets. For now, however, theres no indication that these helmets will make it onto the field:? Nothing new for LSU, but here are the uniform numbers for this years freshmen:? Mississippi State has published a What Color to Wear guide for this seasons home games:? South Carolina has added two new helmets to its rotation -- one red (which is similar to but not quite the same as this one) and one matte black (additional photos here): ? Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin has stated that the team will have a throwback uniform at some point this season, although its not clear which design it will be or when it will be worn.? Vanderbilt has new shoes that will be paired with its solid-black and solid-white uniforms, although the uniforms themselves are unchanged: Back to topSun Belt? Updated look for Appalachian State:?The new sleeve stripes look good, although theyd look even better without the A logo cluttering them up:? Arkansas State is tinkering with some new uniform and helmet combinations, including a solid-black uni with a red lid:? Idaho will be leaving the FBS and dropping down to the FCS in 2018. Judging by their new uniform set, the Vandals might already be preparing for the lower status. The new mix-and-match combos feature a lot of gray (theyre calling it silver, but come on -- its gray), and most of it doesnt look so hot (additional photos here, and additional info here): ? Very basic, no-frills uniform set and lots of new glove designs for Louisiana-Lafayette: ? New Mexico State has changed outfitters, switching from Adidas to Under Armour. A home jersey was revealed about two months ago, but the teams full uniform set wont be unveiled until Thursday.? Troy has added a set of white helmets to the mix:Additional Notes? As you might have noticed in some of the preceding posts, more schools are using treDCALs, which are three-dimensional logo inserts that attach to thigh pads:? Here are some graphics showing permissible and impermissible configurations of face masks and patches, as shown in the NCAA football rulebook:? The New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which takes place each year at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, has a new secondary logo:? The Las Vegas Bowl has a suitably flashy 25th anniversary logo:? The GoDaddy Bowl will now be known as -- wait for it -- the Dollar General Bowl:Back to topPhew! Did we miss anything?Yeah, probably.If you know of any college football uni updates that werent covered here (FBS schools only, please), you know what to do. Thanks.Paul Lukas will run down all the uniform news for the upcoming NFL season on Sept. 6. If you liked this column, youll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program, be added to his mailing list so youll always know when a new column has been posted or just ask him a question? Contact him here. ' ' '