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Deion Sanders, the HC at Jackson State, wants the SWAC to mandate player name plates on all jerseys in the conference, even if he has to pay for it himself. I kinda get his rationale here: giving players recognition in an otherwise backwater conference, and something families probably want to see.

While I agree with Deion in principle here, I could see individual schools objecting over philosophical concerns: teams in the past have gone without name plates (or, as Lodi HS is doing this year, making the name plates reflect the mascot vice the player name) in order to emphasize team over individuals. I can see both arguments.

Personally, I could see the SWAC allowing individual teams to do this at Deion's expense if they have budgetary issues (though his argument that adding a name plate is only a matter of about $5 each a compelling one), but allowing them the freedom to opt out if they have those historic philosophic issues.

Discussion?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/deion-sander ... 06490.html

Other than a conference mandating a conference patch, they should have no impact or sway on what uniforms look like. If Deion wants other schools to put names on the jerseys he can talk to each school individually and make that case.

GannonFan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:14 pm Other than a conference mandating a conference patch, they should have no impact or sway on what uniforms look like. If Deion wants other schools to put names on the jerseys he can talk to each school individually and make that case.

Agreed....

It's a cost issue most of the time. If he wants to pay for them, I don't see a problem.

Interesting what Rutgers did this year:

It should be up to the head coach. Some coaches are vehemently against player names on jerseys because it lessens the "team" aspect. I don't agree with that, but its their choice.

What Rutgers did(above) is no original at all. High schools have been doing just that for decades.

Our HS league seems to have done that very thing, CAA. I don't like it at all. I never have. Andy is correct about that, though it's usually the mascot (as in our case), not the school name; the school name is usually on the front if it's used at all. I find it tacky at best. Give me the player name or NO name. The team name as the name plate is just goofy....

SuperHornet wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:17 pm Our HS league seems to have done that very thing, CAA. I don't like it at all. I never have. Andy is correct about that, though it's usually the mascot (as in our case), not the school name; the school name is usually on the front if it's used at all. I find it tacky at best. Give me the player name or NO name. The team name as the name plate is just goofy....

I get it. I always felt bad for the team (smaller program) playing basketball against Old Dominion that didn't have names on their back. Like I said, it was more about money than anything. As a spectator, I like to see names on the back so that I can identify the player easier and not rely on the announcer.