Written by Kyle Dawson, Sports Editor 

“If you look good, you play good” is an old phrase used by uniform companies, little leaguers’ moms and professional athletes with clothing deals. However, the phrase may be true in VSU’s case.

Currently, VSU is 144-80-5 across all sports this year, aside from golf and cross country. The Blazers have had some good showings, with nine top-six finishes in cross country meets and four top-six finishes with one tournament win for the golf team.

VSU also has some of the best uniforms in all of Division II. The teams have clean and crisp designs on mostly Nike jerseys with predominantly red and black color schemes. However, some uniforms in Titletown are better than others.

In this top five list, there will be some recurring themes and some surprises, but each uniform is unique with its use of colors, logos and designs.

5. Volleyball-White on Black. VSU Volleyball wears white tops and black shorts at home. The jerseys have red numbers with a black outline on the front and back. They have the VSU logo on the left of the jersey and the Nike logo on the right. The uniforms are very simple, but they work because the red numbers pop on the white background. Volleyball is also one of the only VSU teams to have matching shoes. The players wear gray Nikes with white and black trim. The almost all-black bottoms of the uniforms contrast well with the minimalist white tops. The best moment of the year in these uniforms was Sydney Chick’s home performances in October against North Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville where she had back-to-back games with 20 digs, which earned her a Gulf South Conference Player of the Week award.

4. Soccer-Black on Black. VSU Soccer had a forgettable season in 2016, but their black Nike uniforms were nothing short of great. The all-black combination looks sleek and formidable with “Blazers” written across the chest over the numbers, both of which are red with a white outline. White accent stripes on the sleeves add some flare to an otherwise simple design. The black shorts also have white accent stripes. The font of “Blazers” is a fluid san serif that oozes cool. The best moment of 2016 for VSU Soccer in the black uniforms was the last game of the season when senior and fan favorite Kayla Robles scored two goals to will VSU to a season ending draw.

3. Basketball-Black on Black. VSU Basketball has two uniforms made by Nike, which are the same except for the color. The team wears gray at home with red letters and numbers. The dull gray uniforms don’t work because the red doesn’t contrast enough with the gray. The away-game black uniforms with white letters and numbers with a red outline look much better. The shorts have a cool design of red and white diagonal lines with the VSU logo on the left leg. Maybe the team can mix it up in the future and wear different top and bottom combos. The best moment of the season for VSU in the black away uniforms came on the road against Alabama-Huntsville where they won 84-81 in overtime, claiming the top spot in the conference.

2. Football-Black on Black. VSU Football has worn very similar jerseys for most of their history, but 2016’s black Nike jerseys stole the show. The jerseys have the VSU logo under the collar with white block letters with a red outline. The pants have two stripes, one white and one red, on the outside of the legs. VSU wore only one helmet throughout the season, which was all black with a white logo, with black and red accents. The highlight of the uniform is the red stripes on the collar and the edge of the shoulder pads, which lead into the red sleeves. The addition of red into the mostly black uniforms provides for a great splash of color, while still looking ominous. The best moment of 2016 for VSU Football in the all-black uniforms was capturing the Peach Basket at home against in-state rival West Georgia 38-27.

1. Baseball-Red on White. VSU Baseball is one of the few VSU teams to not wear Nike uniforms. The new home reds are made by Russell. The uniforms are an unspoken throwback to the 1970s or ‘80s. The jerseys are red pullovers with a black horizontal stripe across the chest with two thinner white stripes above and below the black stripe. “Blazers” is inside the black stripe in red with white outline, and the players’ numbers are under the team name on the left side of the jersey. The stripes extend to the sleeves, and they are on the collar. VSU wears black hats with the red jerseys, and the uniforms have stirrup socks to complete the throwback look. The uniforms beautifully incorporate all of VSU’s colors, while highlighting the bright red, which reminds one of the colorful uniforms of the ‘70s. The best moment of the year, so far, in the throwback jerseys came in a 12-11 win against Georgia Southwestern where VSU scored the winning run in the eighth inning.

For more updates on VSU Athletics’ uniforms, follow the VSU equipment team on Twitter @VStateEquipment.