Multiple Uniform Numbers

[jaybird]

It is odd, but not illegal.

[bigjohn]

not odd, actually very common in NCAA.

Actually, common in all levels of college ball. You'll see it sometimes in high school ball, but it's rare.

[bisonlj]

I had not noticed it in D1 college until this year. I forget which team I was watching but they had a Heisman-level player sharing a number with a defensive player which threw me at first. I thought maybe players at the bottom of the roster would do this but not key players.

[jTheUmp]

bisonlj, I believe that was Matt Leinhart and some DB for USC. (side note: remember when he used to actually be good?)

There was a lot of number-sharing when I played college ball... when you have 140 kids on the team, and only 98 usable numbers (one number was retired, I think it was #84), you're gonna have to have some repeats.

They did try to make sure that if 2 players shared a number, that they either played on opposite sides of the ball, or that one of the players was significantly younger then the other. (A senior o-lineman, for example, might share #65 with a freshman o-lineman... highly unlikely that any situation would develop that would require both of them to be on the field at the same time).

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

I had not noticed it in D1 college until this year.

Really? You know they have more than 100 kids on the team, right? And only 100 two-digit numbers (0-99)?

[SethPDX]

Oregon State's starting QB shares #5 with a starting safety.

Oregon has a bunch of guys with duplicate numbers, but it's usually a starter on offense and a reserve on D or vice versa.

And of course, Texas A&M always has several #12s.

[FTVMartin]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Really? You know they have more than 100 kids on the team, right? And only 100 two-digit numbers (0-99)?

Not to be too much of a smart-*** but there are only 90 two digit numbers. 0-9 are single digits.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by FTVMartin

Not to be too much of a smart-*** but there are only 90 two digit numbers. 0-9 are single digits.

Plus 0 isn't a legal number so they would run out of numbers with just 100 players not more than 100.