Duke, UNC to Wear Recycled Uniforms

Photo: Nike Inc.

Nike released its new “platinum” uniform line on Wednesday to be worn by nine of the nation’s top men’s and women’s college basketball teams for one game each later this season, the company announced this week.

The fabric of the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum shorts is made from 100 percent recycled polyester, while the jersey fabric is made from at least 96 percent recycled polyester, the company said.

The athletic-wear company doubled its use of recycled polyester last year, using approximately 440 million PET plastic bottles – enough to cover 12,000 basketball courts, Nike said.

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Men’s teams to don the recycled uniforms in 2012 include the University of Arizona, Duke University, University of Florida, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University, University of Connecticut and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both Baylor University and UConn‘s women’s teams will also rock the uniforms at select games this year.

Like the non-traditional uniforms that have become commonplace on college football fields, “platinum” jerseys vary slightly from schools’ traditional color palettes. So, you may have to do a double-take to figure out which team is which. But the bright-colored uniforms are sure to stir up some eco fun on the court.

The uniforms will hit the hardwood beginning late-January for some of the oldest and strongest rivalries in college basketball. To catch the jerseys in an upcoming game, tune into one of these scheduled dates, including UConn vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 29), Baylor (women’s) vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 11) and UNC vs. Maryland (Feb. 29).

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