The best new uniform in college basketball this season is a cream jersey in Knoxville. Tennessee's switch to adidas could have wrecked its best alternate. It made it better. Maryland's 2002 throwback is a close second. After that, the list gets thin fast, because the biggest programs in the sport have revealed almost nothing. Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, UConn and Michigan State have not posted a single new jersey for 2026-27. For most of them, that is the right call.
The other change you will notice every night is on the chest. 2026-27 is the first season the NCAA allows sponsor patches, and half the teams below are wearing one.
Every uniform here was posted by the team itself. If a school has only teased a look, or a fan account leaked it, it is not on this list yet. We will add new looks as teams reveal them, and the dates already announced are at the bottom.
Tennessee: New Cream Adidas Alternates (Cream, Orange And White)
Cream jersey and shorts, an orange cursive Vols script across the chest with a white outline, and orange and white double stripes around the collar, the arm holes, the waistband and the leg openings. It is the same idea as the cream set Tennessee wore with Nike, rebuilt by adidas with the retro trefoil logo instead of the three-stripe mark. They debut against Michigan State on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The take: the best alternate in the SEC got better in the brand switch, and the double stripe is what did it. Grade: A
Maryland: 2002 National Championship Throwbacks (White, Red, Black And Gold)
A white jersey with MARYLAND arched across the chest in red block letters, red numbers, and black, red and gold trim around the neck and arm holes. The shorts carry the Maryland flag M and a red stripe at the bottom of the leg, and the waistband brings back the old muscle Terp. Under Armour built it as a recreation of the set Maryland wore to win the 2002 national title, 25 years ago this season, and the Terps wear it three times, all at home.
The take: the modern Maryland jersey already borrows the arch, but the gold in the trim is exactly what the current set is missing. Make this the home jersey. Grade: A-
Ohio State: Scarlet Jim Jackson Throwbacks (Scarlet, White And Gray)
A scarlet jersey with OHIO and STATE stacked in white block letters above and below a white number, with gray and white trim around the collar and arm holes. It is the 1990s look Jim Jackson wore, and Ohio State brought it back out on Nov. 13 after first wearing the scarlet version last season. This year it carries the Chase sponsor patch on the chest.
The take: the stacked OHIO STATE is the best wordmark the Buckeyes have ever worn, and it is still stuck in alternate duty. Grade: B+
Wisconsin: New Under Armour Home Set (White And Red)
A white jersey with WISCONSIN arched across the chest in red serif block letters, red numbers, and a double red stripe around the collar and arm holes. The motion W sits on the leg of the shorts, and the Culver's patch sits on the chest. Clean, traditional and very Big Ten.
The take: nothing wrong with it and nothing you will remember, which is about what Wisconsin wants. Grade: B+
Gonzaga: First Pac-12 Home Jersey (White, Red And Navy)
Gonzaga's first season in the Pac-12 comes with a new conference logo on the chest. The jersey is white with GONZAGA in red block letters outlined in navy, navy numbers outlined in red, and a navy V-neck with a red inner collar. The Altana patch sits above the Pac-12 logo.
The take: the red and navy outlines do the work, but the Altana patch and the Pac-12 logo stacked on the chest crowd a jersey that used to be simple. Grade: B
Louisville: New Adidas Home Uniform (White, Red And Black)
A white jersey with LOUISVILLE arched across the chest in red with a black outline, red numbers, and a red stripe that starts under the arms and runs down the side of the shorts. The piping is black, and the Cardinal bird sits on the shorts. The big change from the last two years: the lettering went back to red after two seasons in black. Louisville gets new core uniforms from adidas every two years.
The take: red letters on a white Louisville jersey is how it should always look, but the side stripe is generic adidas template. Grade: B
Texas: New Home Uniform (White And Burnt Orange)
Texas showed its new set with a white jersey, burnt orange name and number on the back, and burnt orange trim around the collar and arm holes. The team's first look only shows the back, so we will update this when we see the front on the court.
The take: burnt orange and white cannot miss, but Texas showed the back of the jersey first, and the back is the least interesting part of any uniform. Grade: B-
The Patch Year: St. John's And Arizona
The NCAA rule allowing sponsor patches took effect Aug. 1, 2026, and the top programs signed fast. Wisconsin has Culver's, Gonzaga has Altana, Ohio State has Chase, Arkansas has Tyson Foods, Tennessee has Axle Logistics and Iowa has Bravaroof Tile.
St. John's put AlumniFi on a white adidas jersey with ST. JOHN'S arched in red, red numbers and a navy and red V-neck. The patch is small and sits right above the Big East logo. Tasteful, as patches go. Grade: B
Arizona signed Carvana. The patch is the news here, not the jersey, which is the same red, white and navy set. A used-car logo on the chest of a blue blood is the clearest sign yet of where this is heading. Grade: C
Dates To Watch
These are the special-uniform games teams have officially announced. We will add more as they come.
- Tuesday, Nov. 17: Tennessee vs. Michigan State. Tennessee debuts the cream adidas alternates.
- Saturday, Jan. 16: Maryland vs. Illinois. Second of Maryland's three 2002 throwback games.
- Saturday, Feb. 13: Maryland vs. Indiana. The last throwback game, and the night Maryland honors the 2002 title team. Indiana is the team Maryland beat in that title game.
The Bottom Line
Two programs got it right this year, and both did it by looking backward. Tennessee kept the cream look fans already loved and only changed the trim. Maryland copied its best era almost stitch for stitch. Everyone else either made a small home-set update or added a sponsor patch. The biggest uniform story of 2026-27 so far is not a jersey at all. It is the logo of a bank, a burger chain and an online car seller sitting on the chest of the best teams in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best new college basketball uniform for 2026-27? Tennessee's cream adidas alternate, graded A. Cream base, orange cursive Vols script with a white outline, and orange and white double stripes. It debuts Nov. 17 against Michigan State.
When does Tennessee wear its new cream uniforms? The first game is Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Michigan State. Tennessee has not announced the rest of its cream dates.
When does Maryland wear its 2002 throwback uniforms? Three home games: Nov. 2 against Bucknell (already played), Jan. 16 against Illinois and Feb. 13 against Indiana, when Maryland honors the 2002 national championship team.
Did Duke, Kansas, Kentucky or North Carolina get new uniforms for 2026-27? Not that the teams have posted. None of the four has revealed a new jersey or alternate for this season so far. We will add them here if that changes.
Why do college basketball jerseys have sponsor patches now? The NCAA approved commercial patches on uniforms in January 2026, and the rule took effect Aug. 1, 2026. 2026-27 is the first college basketball season with them.
Which college basketball teams have jersey patches? Among the teams on this list: Wisconsin (Culver's), Gonzaga (Altana), Ohio State (Chase), St. John's (AlumniFi), Arizona (Carvana), Arkansas (Tyson Foods), Tennessee (Axle Logistics) and Iowa (Bravaroof Tile).
What changed on Louisville's home uniform? The lettering and numbers went back to red after two seasons in black, and a red stripe now runs from under the arms down the shorts. Louisville gets new adidas home and road uniforms every two years.
Does Gonzaga have new jerseys for the Pac-12? Yes. The white home jersey now carries the Pac-12 logo on the chest, next to the new Altana sponsor patch, in Gonzaga's first season in the conference.