Georgia breaks out black jerseys, team’s first alternate uniforms at home since 2016

It’s official. Georgia football is back in black.

Head coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday that the Bulldogs “were considering a change” and it would come down to a vote from the leadership committee. Those results were known as the team trotted onto the Sanford Stadium turf with their alternate black uniforms.

Saturday’s game is Georgia’s first at home since Oct. 10, nearly six weeks. Georgia hasn’t worn an alternate uniform at home since 2016 when it wore black for a game against Louisiana-Lafayette, a 35-21 Bulldog win.

The surprise of a change in uniform was spoiled a little when Community Athens, a local seamstress, posted a video to Instagram of patches being added to the jerseys. The video has since been deleted.

The black uniforms worn Saturday are different from the usual ones with bubble-style numbers that have been inside the team’s equipment room for years and worn during the spring game. Those uniforms were identical to the home uniforms, except in black.

Saturday’s uniforms are part of a new alternate set released along with a 1980s throwback uniform set, which the Bulldogs wore to open the season at Arkansas. They were designed to pay homage to Georgia’s blackouts in the past — 2007 vs. Auburn, 2008 vs. Alabama and in the 2008 Sugar Bowl vs. Hawaii — with white block-style numbering on a black jersey.

There’s a modern twist to the uniforms, too, in an effort to highlight the program’s branding. The new Bulldog logo is on the sleeves and spikes are around the collar of the jersey as a tribute to the spiked shoulder pads that are worn after a turnover.

Georgia’s black uniforms have been a fan favorite since they were first worn over a decade ago. Over recent years, the use of an alternate uniform is a rarity. They’re a selling point to recruits, but Smart has said he doesn’t like for a uniform change to create “fake juice.”

At this point, however, Georgia needs a spark. It’s also a celebration of a return home and a treat for the fan base.

Under the lights on Saturday night, black is back.

This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Georgia breaks out black jerseys, team’s first alternate uniforms at home since 2016."