How Yoga Pants Inspired Under Armour's New College Football Uniforms

Under Armour has introduced the new ARMR 037 Uniform for the 2024 college football season.

Under Armour has introduced the ARMR 037 Uniform. / Under Armour.

"I feel like I'm naked when I'm wearing it" was one of the more memorable pieces of feedback Kelsey Greenwell heard from a Maryland Terrapins quarterback testing Under Armour's new ARMR 037 uniform.

As Design Director of Team Sports, Greenwell and her team were tasked with the multi-year project of creating Under Armour's next generation of college football uniforms. The ARMR 037 builds on the success of the ArmourGrid 2 Jersey and the Conquer Pant.

For a company known for its unforgettable marketing campaigns and game-changing design, the ARMR 037 Uniform is nothing short of a sartorial revolution within college football.

A yoga pants waistband has replaced cumbersome belts. Three jersey cuts for different positions, three jersey templates for different styles, and an engineered fit locked down so tight players feel like they cannot be tackled.

The Maryland Terrapins UA 037 jersey. / Under Armour

With the help of its NCAA partner schools, most notably the University of Maryland, Under Armour conducted 200+ meetings, completed three comprehensive wear tests, and kept a continuous dialogue with athletes to research and brainstorm throughout the design process.

"We knew we had a great uniform in the collegiate space prior to 037, so we wanted to see how we could continue to innovate and push that," said Greenwell.

For 30 minutes, Greenwell presented a PhD-level lecture on the intricacies of uniform design. Much like a professor at one of the schools her work helps represent, Greenwell's office told the story of an obsessive personality. The walls were adorned with various fabric samples, jersey numbers, and prototype sketches.

ARMR 037 jerseys. / Under Armour

Greenwell and her team are obsessed with innovation and getting ahead of trends. "Players did not want to wear the belts; they were cutting them out. We continue to stay up to date on sport culture and see how trends evolve. As we were hearing those trends changing, we knew we had to get after it. We don't want to be the last to the party. We want to set the trend and give them the answers they are looking for."

Players complained about their pants rolling, coming down, or not staying in place and having to be adjusted while playing football. The result was the creation of a "no slip waistband," which stays in place and is shaped so that the back has even more coverage than traditional football pants.

The 037 jerseys come in three cuts: quarterback, linemen, and action cut. Meanwhile, schools can tailor their jersey templates to meet the moment: standard, classic, and dig (a more expressive design). The build is the same, but schools can express themselves without looking like their opponents.

The design team took Armour Grid technology from the previous generation of jerseys and expanded upon it with wider panels on the front and back. Additionally, they improved the mesh quality for breathability.

Maryland quarterback MJ Morris runs with the football. / Under Armour

After years of work and countless focus groups, the company-wide collaboration led to a uniform with a lock-down fit in both the pants and jersey that is not easily grabbed and ventilation where it is most needed.

Under Armour is introducing the new ARMR 037 uniform designs for the 2024 college football season in August among all eight of their partner schools. Plus, the new uniforms will be used in the EA Sports' College Football 25 video game, which debuted in July.

Teams have already started posting pictures of their new threads on social media, and even the pickiest and most provincial fans are loving what they see.

Greenwell confirmed that fans' opinions on social media get noticed. "People are really excited. One of my teammates put together a snapshot of what everyone was saying, and it was like 80/20 positive."

Under Armour has introduced the ARMR 037 Uniform. / Under Armour

"Fans are saying, 'This is what we have been waiting for.' It is exciting for me because people are excited about something they don't really know the story behind yet. They're going off visual, and there is so much more to it."

The storytelling married with innovation is what influences Greenwell's personal favorite uniform. "It changes all the time, but right now, my absolute favorite is the new Notre Dame 'Shamrock Series' uniform. The color, the simplicity, the gold, and the storytelling that's involved."

While fan feedback is noticed, it does not shake Under Armour from its fearlessly athletic design language and commitment to player performance.

Greenwell explained Under Armour's for the future, "We are really confident in the direction we are going. In order to push innovation, we have to really look outside the box, not just in the football space, because then you start to do what everyone else is doing. We want to be leaders in the uniform space."

Further Reading: Stephen Curry's 12th Under Armour sneaker enjoys limelight at the Olympics.