adidas on Thursday unveiled new IU football uniforms with a heartfelt tribute.
Dubbed the "Hep's Rock" alternate uniforms, the new threads honor team tradition and the legacy of former IU football head coach Terry Hoeppner, who died of brain cancer on June 19, 2007. The new alternate uniforms will make their on-field debut on Saturday, Sept. 23 when the Hoosiers host Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium.
Back in 2005, Hoeppner had a limestone bolder that was found in the practice field removed and installed in Memorial Stadium's North End Zone. Prior to the start of each game, Hoosier football players would touch "The Rock" prior to running on to the field at home games. It remains a team tradition and lasting legacy of Hoeppner to this day.
Indiana kicks off the 2017 season hosting No. 2 Ohio State Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Scroll down for additional images of IU's new alternate uniforms and to read the full release from adidas.
Full release from adidas below
Indiana University and adidas today unveiled the “Hep’s Rock” Primeknit alternate football uniforms, which will be make their on-field debut on Saturday, September 23 vs. Georgia Southern.
Developed in collaboration with Indiana University Athletics, the “Hep’s Rock” alternate uniforms pay homage to team tradition and serve as a tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the passing of former Head Football Coach, Terry Hoeppner. Coach Hoeppner’s legacy includes the creation of a ritual that the Hoosiers still practice today.
In 2005, Hoeppner had a limestone boulder that was found in the practice field removed and installed at the north end zone of Memorial Stadium. The boulder was dubbed "The Rock" and prior to the start of each home game, the Hoosiers would touch “The Rock” before running onto the field. Hoeppner died of brain cancer on June 19, 2007, and The Rock (renamed "Hep's Rock" in 2010) now serves as motivation for the team as well as a tribute to Hoeppner's influence on the football program.
Inspired by the team’s tradition and to honor to Coach Hoeppner, the new alternate uniforms are centered around a subtle limestone graphic that was designed to replicate the visual aesthetic, texture and color of “Hep’s Rock.” Creating a new signature look for the Hoosiers, the classic crimson jerseys are emblazoned with the Indiana script logo and player numbers that are highlighted with the custom-created limestone pattern to match the limestone pants.
The “Hep’s Rock” theme continues with the TECHFIT compression baselayer that features a limestone graphic and is highlighted with the “Indiana” moniker prominently placed on the chest. Additionally, the stone colored adizero 5-Star 5.0 gloves feature a white oversized graphic of the “Indiana” script logo on the palms. To complete the head-to-toe look, the team will wear an anodized crimson helmet with a white interlocked “IU” logo on the sides and white adidas adizero and FREAK cleats with crimson accents.
The “Hep’s Rock” Primeknit alternative uniform is at the forefront of design and innovation, providing players the perfect blend of style and technology for elite performance. Made with a cutting-edge, proprietary yarn blend that increases durability and abrasion resistance, Primeknit is the premier compression uniform system, featuring the latest generation of adidas TECHFIT technology. Primeknit helps keep players cool and increases range of motion, giving athletes an unrivaled level of comfort and allowing them to perform at their highest levels. The jersey's padlock system secures tension over the shoulder pads, while the bodymap fit adheres to the player, making it difficult for opponents to grab, hold or tackle.
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