Miami Hurricanes to debut ‘environmentally conscious’ uniforms in opener against LSU

The Miami Hurricanes don’t just have a marquee season opener against LSU on their hands on Sept. 2.

They also have a new, environmentally conscious alternative uniform that will make its debut.

UM and Adidas announced the news Monday, making the Hurricanes the first football team to have uniforms made out of repurposed and upcycled materials. The uniforms were created in partnership with Parley For The Oceans.

“Our players and staff are excited to wear the new adidas Parley jerseys and gear for our season opener. We’re also excited that adidas and Parley are teaming up with UM to help promote sustainability around the world,” UM coach Mark Richt said in a release. “Community service has always been an integral part of our football program, and this partnership with adidas and Parley helps us continue those efforts.”

The uniforms, called the “Miami x Parley A1,” have an ocean-like feel to them that is supposed to “pay homage to South Florida landscapes.” The sleeves of the orange tops and the stripes on the white pants feature a wave print pattern while a stitched pattern on the white block numbers also seems to resemble waves from a distance.

According to UM, the uniform is composed of more than 70 percent of raw material from fishing nets and other waste from marine environments.

Players will also wear accompanying cleats and gloves that contain recycled materials along with the jerseys and pants.

The school will auction off a select number of these uniforms beginning on Aug. 27, with the proceeds going toward research in UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

“The City of Miami — and the University of Miami — are forever linked to the ocean. Our Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science on Virginia Key is one of the world’s foremost centers for oceanographic and atmospheric research,” UM athletic director Blake James said. “This partnership gives our student-athletes an opportunity to make a difference in our community by promoting sustainability efforts on campus, around South Florida — and across the globe. Thank you to adidas, Parley and the Rosenstiel School for their commitment to sustainability, and for helping us continue to build champions at The U.”

NOTE: The Miami Herald is now offering a digital sports-only subscription for $30 per year. This is unlimited access to all Herald sports and sports stories, thus allowing you to comment in the section below as many times as you wish. Click right here to get started immediately.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 2:02 PM.