Longhorns to Wear New Nike Vapor FUSE Uniforms for 2023

Texas will be among a limited number of collegiate programs to wear the new state-of-the-art Nike Vapor FUSE uniforms for the 2023 season. This is the same template worn by Ohio State and Georgia in last year’s College Football Playoff, and by Oregon since 2019. The Longhorns wore the previous template (Vapor Untouchable) for 6 seasons starting 2017, so the team was well past due for an update. While the uniforms are not a massive change aesthetically from last year’s refresh, it’s nice to see UT continue to be considered among the ranks of Nike’s elite programs.

Uniform Updates

The FUSE template (an abbreviation for Field Utility Special Edition), combines lightweight Nike Dri-FIT technology with a precision fit to help allow for ultimate performance on the field. The new template is designed to better hug the body of the player, resulting in a streamlined fit that is second to none. Strategically positioned mesh and perforations help ventilate high-heat areas and provide additional zoned breathability.

The most notable changes on this new template can be found around the collar. On the neck, a cowcatcher-shaped mesh collar design can be found in place of the triangle that was present on the previous Vapor Untouchable chassis. The upper part of the jersey also features a horizontal seam in the shape of a “V”, which appears to push the font “Texas” further down the chest when compared to the previous uniform.

Vertical seams also run from the top of the jersey to the bottom, in order to give it a more structured fit. The entire uniform also has a greater number of perforations when compared to the previous template. These additional seams and perforations give the FUSE a marked different appearance when compared to the Untouchable, which overall had fewer seams and sported ventilation on only the bottom half of the shirt.

In terms of aesthetic elements, these new jerseys are mostly unchanged from last year. This makes sense, as the Longhorns made a few major changes with last season’s uniforms, namely the removal of the shoulder numbers and the Longhorn logo from the collar. The biggest change aesthetically is that the large “V” appears to push the font “Texas” further down the jersey, resulting in a bit of dead space between it and the collar.

Given the additional seam and perforations, these new Vapor FUSE jerseys appear to be a much more elaborate garment when compared to the previous Vapor Untouchable template. This additional complexity coupled with the pandemic might explain why it took so long for Texas (and other top programs) to adopt it, given that there were rumors that the team would be upgrading back in 2020.

Author Opinion: V for Victory?

Overall, I’m a fan of this new template and some of the new design elements it incorporates. While I liked the previous Vapor Untouchable template, it’s streamlined nature often made it look like more like a shirt than a jersey. The extra seams and structure make the Vapor FUSE appear to be more like a classic football uniform. Hopefully, these additions result in extra performance benefits for the team on-field, as we’ll need every advantage we can get for our last year in the Big 12.

My primary grip with this new template is the placement of the font “Texas”. The “V” design on the neck seems to push it too far down the chest, resulting in an awkward placement for the text. While the gap between the neck and the font is is only a few centimeters larger than it was on the previous template, it is enough to be noticeable at a distance. Oklahoma State and the Arizona Cardinals also appear to have issues with the fonts on their new FUSE jerseys appearing farther down the chest, so this problem is not isolated to the Longhorns.

Thankfully, the potential fix for this issue is relatively simple. Nike currently produces a version of the Vapor FUSE jersey which does not feature the enlarged “V” at the top of the jersey. In this variant, the “V” is instead replaced with a horizontal seam that spans from shoulder to shoulder.

This version of the FUSE was worn by the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 and is currently being sold in the most recent Nike Teams catalog, so it is clearly a viable option for high level programs. Ideally, Nike would allow Texas and other schools that have wordmarks on their jerseys to use this “straight seamed” variant in future seasons, rather than forcing them to use the “V” seamed version of the FUSE.

Although I acknowledge that the gap may grow on me, I hope that Nike remedies this problem in the future. UT’s uniforms last year were borderline perfect, so any small change was sure to be noticeable. From Nike’s perspective, I can understand wanting to emphasis a new template with a noticeable design element like the “V”. However, this desire for marketing should not come at the expense of the overall aesthetic for one of the most iconic uniforms in college football.

While I’m glad to see that we kept all of the updates that last year’s uniforms received (removal of the Longhorn logo on the neck and the shoulder numbers), it’s a bit upsetting to see the uniforms take a step back after Nike and UT absolutely nailed it. In the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things to worry about than a few centimeter gap on a jersey (such as winning football games). However, as this website is primarily concerned with the uniforms, gear, and footwear that Texas wears when they take the field, I felt obliged to at least offer my $0.02 on the matter.

Conclusion

Texas will wear these new Vapor FUSE uniforms throughout 2023, starting on 9/2 when they open the season against Rice. While we have yet to see what the away version of these new jerseys will look like, they will almost certainly look identical to the homes.

What are your thoughts on UT’s new Vapor FUSE uniforms? Do you also feel that the font “Texas” is too far down the chest, or does it not matter what the team wears as long as they win games?

Images via @TexasFootball on Instagram