Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMuch to players’ delight, Evansville leaves sleeves
By Sandy Weintraub
Posted: 2/13/03, 12:29 AM EST Section: Sports
When the University of Evansville men's basketball team took the court for the first time this season, something was missing.
On Nov. 9, the Purple Aces entered the Roberts Stadium court without their trademark sleeves for the first time since 1986.
"The day I was hired as athletic director," said Evansville’s Bill McGillis, who was brought in before the season, "I went to the players and asked them about the uniforms. They said to me, ‘They gotta go.’ "
After a long process with input from players, alumni, faculty and boosters, McGillis and new head coach Steve Merfeld decided to scrap the sleeves.
On Sept. 18, five returning Aces met the media wearing conventional basketball jerseys for the first time in nearly two decades. Now no Division I team wears sleeves.
"We weren't sure what the reaction of the community would be," McGillis said, "but it has been extremely positive."
"They're cool," senior Tobias Brinkley told the Evansville Courier and Press. "It was time for a change. We had a couple of meetings about it, and it came up unanimous to get different uniforms."
McGillis said Merfeld explained to the crowd at the unveiling that the tradition of Evansville basketball was not in the sleeves but in wearing the name “Evansville” across the chest. Merfeld's explanation helped make the uniform change a positive process.
McGillis said the community and the university were ready for a change. He could count the number of complaints on one finger, he said.
"We didn't make this change because of what recruits might think, or because we wanted to be like everyone else," Merfeld said at the press conference. "The main reason for the change was player comfort, which was the same reason for Coach (Arad) McCutchan's choice back in the '40s."
For the better part of 50 years, the men's basketball team at Evansville became known for its trademark T-shirt-style uniforms introduced by McCutchan, a Hall of Fame coach, in 1947.
On Nov. 9, the Purple Aces entered the Roberts Stadium court without their trademark sleeves for the first time since 1986.
"The day I was hired as athletic director," said Evansville’s Bill McGillis, who was brought in before the season, "I went to the players and asked them about the uniforms. They said to me, ‘They gotta go.’ "
After a long process with input from players, alumni, faculty and boosters, McGillis and new head coach Steve Merfeld decided to scrap the sleeves.
On Sept. 18, five returning Aces met the media wearing conventional basketball jerseys for the first time in nearly two decades. Now no Division I team wears sleeves.
"We weren't sure what the reaction of the community would be," McGillis said, "but it has been extremely positive."
"They're cool," senior Tobias Brinkley told the Evansville Courier and Press. "It was time for a change. We had a couple of meetings about it, and it came up unanimous to get different uniforms."
McGillis said Merfeld explained to the crowd at the unveiling that the tradition of Evansville basketball was not in the sleeves but in wearing the name “Evansville” across the chest. Merfeld's explanation helped make the uniform change a positive process.
McGillis said the community and the university were ready for a change. He could count the number of complaints on one finger, he said.
"We didn't make this change because of what recruits might think, or because we wanted to be like everyone else," Merfeld said at the press conference. "The main reason for the change was player comfort, which was the same reason for Coach (Arad) McCutchan's choice back in the '40s."
For the better part of 50 years, the men's basketball team at Evansville became known for its trademark T-shirt-style uniforms introduced by McCutchan, a Hall of Fame coach, in 1947.
