Grey shirts

[rpirtle]

High School Level (TX) - We have always used the traditional B&W stripes for high school here in TX. I don't know if our state official's association (TASO) or state governing body (UIL) has ever even considered using the grey shirts. My favorite is the newer tight-weave mesh made by Kliff Keen (polyester / nylon blend). Our state association and local chapter do not require us to display patches on our shirts so this is not a factor for us.

College Level (TX) - Our coordinator (for NCAA Div II & III, NAIA, & Juco) would have a heartattack if we even mentioned we would like him to consider going to the greys (my opinion). He seems to me to be fairly traditional in nature. And I seem to remember seeing a memo from the NCAA recently stating explicitly that grey shirts were not to be worn in any NCAA games.

ABA - In the ABA we use a very sturdy plain grey shirt (with blue trim) made of 100% polyester by Alleson Athletics. While its tight weave and thick construction holds up very well to patches and it drapes well, it is very hot because it does not breathe well.

Pro-Ams (TX) - The ProAm circuit has used the grey shirts in this area for several years now. I think they look great and they were pretty much the same from a maintenance & care standpoint. We used the plain grey shirts one year and the grey with black pinstripe another. I preferred the grey tight-weave (private label) with pinstripes myself. It was light weight, fairly cool, and held up well to sewn on patches.

League Play & Referee Camps (TX) - And all of the referee camps and nationally affiliated Spring and Summer leagues (AAU, BCI, etc.) require B&W shirts. Even the Hoop-it-Up (3-on-3 B-ball) events in this area require the B&W stripes. This is all the way up to the Top Gun brackets (men's and women's open bracket which includes many top college players and some that have played at the semi-pro level). So TX is pretty much a B&W striped shirt state in this category.

Appearance vs Comfort & Care- It has been my experience that both types of shirts (B&W and Greys) have some characteristics that are beneficial and some that are not. For instance, both can be found in 100% polyester or some type of cotton / poly blend. And both can be found in a solid weave or some type of woven mesh. The mesh shirts are generally cooler but some don't hold up very well when you start sewing patches on them. While the solid weave shirts (both 100% polyester & cotton / poly blends) hold up better to patches, they might not breathe as well and so might be hotter. My favorite material (disregarding color) is the tight-weave mesh made of 100% polyester (inside) and 100% polyester (outside) by Kliff Keen.

So, in my opinion, the bottom lines is...decide which color scheme you want to go with for your conference...then find a manufacturer that makes one that fits your needs. But that's just me...

[Texas Aggie]

Our coordinator (for NCAA Div II & III, NAIA, & Juco) would have a heartattack if we even mentioned we would like him to consider going to the greys (my opinion).

While I agree with you that he'd give a firm "no" to the idea, he wouldn't have a heart attack. He wore a solid grey shirt (no collar, but with a zipper if you can believe that) in the early '90s while working on the Southwest Conference staff. He might even still have those shirts.