Brian Kelly Admits That Notre Dame's Crazy Shamrock Uniforms Are Just A Recruiting Ploy
Kelly confirms what has long been suspected. That is, for the schools, the uniform is only being worn as a ploy to attract high school football players who think shiny objects are an important factor in deciding which school to attend (you can see the full interview at DanPatrick.com):
"I think you have to be part of the group and the gang, meaning there are so many attractive and different options out there in terms of uniforms...We're not going to change our uniforms, like some schools, each and every week. We're going to do it once a year. It is part of our Shamrock series. But I think it's part of the recruiting process. It's something we can showcase. It is innovative and it just shows that we're part of the group and that we're part of it and that we understand that it's appealing to the 18-year-olds. It's not appealing to the 40-year-olds. They want to see the traditional uniforms and I get that. But we do it once a year and I do think it is important to attracting that 17-18-year-old."
Of course, the other side of the story is that Adidas and other uniform manufacturers push these radical uniforms on the schools because it creates buzz for the brands and also gives fans more options that can be purchased.
Kelly does emphasize the point that, unlike many schools, this is just a one-game switch for Notre Dame. But one can make an argument that no school has worn more radical uniforms than Notre Dame the last two years. In addition to the reflective shamrock helmet worn this year (see above), here is a look back at what Notre Dame wore last year...
