On July 1, South Carolina becomes a Nike school. Before the change, look back at the three best uniforms South Carolina wore in its 17 seasons as an Under Armour program.
Last week, we covered the worst uniforms.
Classic White Design (2009-2013)
What the initial Under Armour uniform set lacked in creativity, it made up for in simple elegance. “South” arched over the numbers on the front, “Carolina” straight across underneath, and “Gamecocks” vertically on the shorts. (In the era of long shorts, you could fit the whole word.)
The white version with garnet and black trim was the best version; clean and classic.
January 5, 2012; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Courtney Newton (22) shoots a jumper against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half at Colonial-Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
White Tail Feather Side Panels (2013-2019)
In 2013, ahead of South Carolina’s first SEC championship, Under Armour redesigned the uniforms. The big change was putting “South Carolina” in one line above the numbers on the front. The initial uniforms also had sublimated tail feathers on the side panels.
Both features could be hard to see from any distance, but they looked good on TV. They especially looked good while the Gamecocks were cutting down the nets after South Carolina’s first national championship. For that reason, the home whites are iconic.
A’ja Wilson dances after her final game at Colonial Life Arena in 2018 (Photo by Chris Gillespie)
Garnet Double-Decker (2023-2026)
In 2023, Under Armour gave the Gamecocks a major overhaul. Instead of cramming “South Carolina” into one line, the way it had for the past decade, or going with the traditional split name, Under Armour put a double-decker “South Carolina” above the numbers. The shorts also said “USC” and “WBB” on the side panels.
Like it or not, the design was unique to the Gamecocks. It came in white, black, and best of all, garnet. All the colors seemed to pop more on the garnet version. Unfortunately, South Carolina rarely wore it.
South Carolina’s Maddy McDaniel (1) drives towards the basket while guarded by Tennessee’s Ruby Whitehorn (2) in an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Special Mention
On their own, South Carolina’s “Cocky” alternates are good-looking uniforms. It’s hard to cram “South Carolina” or “Gamecocks” onto a basketball jersey, so Under Armour got rid of the text altogether and just put a Block C on the front.
It made for a crisp, clean uniform with swooping side panels that made everything pop. So why don’t they make the best uniforms list (and got a special mention on the worst uniforms)?
The colors were garnet and yellow. Yellow is not a school color. From the back or the side, they looked like they belonged to Southern Cal, Iowa State, or any of a dozen teams not named South Carolina. It can’t be one of the best uniform sets with someone else’s colors.
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