Announcement

**Da Coach** · 09-26-2018, 08:13 PM

I have learned the new black uniforms that were worn in practice toady are "practice uniforms", provided by Under Armour. And there are no plans currently to use black uniforms in games.

However, I have also learned that the coaches and administration have discussed and considered the possibility of using an alternate uniform color like black for game jerseys in the future. They are sensitive to the concerns that some people in the past have had regarding the use of only the traditional official colors of Bradley (red and white uniforms), but they are trying to consider what the majority of fans would like to see now.
The coaches were also not aware that Bradley has already used alternate black uniforms in past years, and now knowing this might lead to it happening again.
It doesn't sound like it will happen this season, but I think we will see the use of an alternate black uniform again in the future.

Again, here is a complete history of Bradley's use of alternate color uniforms in the past-
https://www.http://bradleyfans.com/v...ad.php?t=27462

Here is the text (photos are shown in the link)-

Here is some history of Bradley's alternate colored uniforms-

Black or another 3rd color uniforms were suggested a number of times when Ken Kavanagh was Bradley's AD. And as much as I respected Ken, I didn't like his decision not to allow them. He felt strongly that Bradley's colors were Red and White, and that the uniforms should not feature any other color.

But after Ken left in June, 2009, the athletic administration was more open to an alternate jersey color, and plans began to develop to use them.
The Black Nike uniforms were unveiled for the first ever Bradley "Blackout Game" promotion February 9, 2010 against Illinois State. The team wore the new black uniforms, and all 11,281 fans (the 5th largest crowd in Bradley's history) received nice black tee shirts.
Bradley lead for the first 38 minutes of the game, but faded at the end and lost 62-61 to a pretty good Redbird team.
Game summary-

Illinois State Rallies for 62-61 Win at Bradley - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2010/2/10/204884560.aspx

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley led for almost 38 minutes to open the game, but Jackie Carmichael's put-back basket with 52.9 seconds remaining proved to be the difference as Illinois State rallied for a 62-61 victory against the Braves Wednesday at Carver Arena. The Redbirds moved into tie with Creighton for third-place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, while the loss dropped Bradley (12-12, 7-7 MVC) into fifth place.

But then Bradley returned to the red and white uniforms for the remaining 5 regular-season games that year.
Then, Bradley surprised everyone and broke the black uniforms out again on 3/5/10 in their opening game in the quarterfinals of the 2010 MVC Tournament. #5 seeded Bradley blasted a pretty good #4 seeded Creighton team 81-62 to advance to play the #1 seeded UNI.

Bradley Blows By Creighton in MVC Quarters, 81-62 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2010/3/6/204901868.aspx

ST. LOUIS (AP) -Sam Maniscalco scored a career-high 31 points on 18-of-19 free-throw shooting to lead Bradley over Creighton 81-62 in the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Friday.

But then the magic apparently wore off. The Braves wore the black uniforms one more time that season the next day on 3/6/10 in the semifinal round against the top seeded UNI, and lost 57-40-

Top Seed UNI Eliminates Bradley in MVC Tourney Semis - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2010/3/6/204902603.aspx

ST. LOUIS (AP) -Jordan Eglseder and Marc Sonnen scored 10 points apiece to lead Northern Iowa to a 57-40 victory over Bradley in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday.

The next season, 2010-11, was a bad year when Taylor Brown was out all year with his heart issue, and Sam Maniscalco missed almost the entire season with an ankle injury. But Bradley did not wear the black uniforms again during that entire 2010-11 regular season.

However, Bradley brought the Black uniforms out of mothballs for the opening round of the 2011 MVC Tournament in a game against Drake on 3/3/11, and #10 seed Bradley played extremely well and clobbered #7 seed Drake 63-48 for Jim Les' last win as Bradley coach.

Simms-Edwards Lifts Bradley in Tourney Opener - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2011/3/4/205108390.aspx

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Dyricus Simms-Edwards scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, career highs in both categories, to lead Bradley to a 63-48 win over Drake in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday night at the Scottrade Center.

Then, on 3/4/11, Bradley went back to their red road uniforms for a quarterfinal game against Wichita State.
Jordan Prosser had dislocated his left kneecap in the previous night's win over Drake, and joined Sam Maniscalco and Taylor Brown in street clothes and did not play. #10 seed Bradley played the #2 seed Wichita State, and the undermanned Bradley team lost 70-56 and was eliminated from the tournament.
I am not sure why Bradley did not wear the black uniforms that game. One rumor was that it had to do with black being one of Wichita State's colors, and that they did not approve, even though WSU wore their white uniforms that game.

Wichita State Ends Bradley Season, 70-56 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bradleybraves.com/news/2011/3/5/205109305.aspx?path=mbball

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Bradley senior guard Andrew Warren scored a game-high 17 points to move into 10th place on the school's all-time scoring list, but it was not enough to prevent No. 2 seed Wichita State (24-7) from eliminating the Braves (12-20) from the quarterfinals of the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Friday night at the Scottrade Center.

Then in the 2011-2012 season, Geno Ford's first season at Bradley, Bradley broke out all new designed Nike black uniforms in the Chicago Invitational Challenge played at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, IL. They played Wisconsin in the opening game on 11/25/11, and lost 66-43-

#11 Wisconsin Tops Bradley, 66-43 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2011/11/26/205338405.aspx

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) - Ryan Evans, Jordan Taylor and Josh Gasser had 15 points apiece and No. 11 Wisconsin scored 18 points off turnovers in a 66-43 victory over Bradley in the Chicago Invitational Challenge on Friday night. Center Jared Berggren grabbed 10 rebounds for the Badgers (5-0), who face BYU in Saturday's championship at the suburban Chicago Sears Centre. Wisconsin never trailed in the teams' first meeting since 1989. Taylor Brown scored 18 points for the Braves (3-2), who have dropped two straight. Bradley had 17 turnovers and shot just 34 percent (18 of 53) from the field. Wisconsin hit 25 of 59 from the field (42.4 percent). Wisconsin established a 10-2 lead as five different players scored in the first 3 minutes, 34 seconds. Bradley replied with Dyricus Simms-Edwards' 3-pointer and Jordan Prosser's baseline drive to cut the lead to 10-7. The Badgers then rattled off a 13-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3 pointers from Traevon Jackson and Ben Brust, and Taylor's steal and feed to Berggren for a jam and a 23-9 advantage. A Bradley surge trimmed Wisconsin's lead to 30-22 with 1:33 left in the half, but Gasser and Taylor scored in the final minute to push the Badger lead to 34-24. After the opening minute of the second half, the Badgers restored and maintained double-digit leads the rest of the way. Taylor's 3-pointer with 4:34 to play opened a 64-41 lead, the largest of the night before reserves came in to wrap up play. Despite playing in adjacent states, the teams met for just the fifth time Friday. That's partly due to Wisconsin's policy of not playing nonconference games against teams with Native American mascots and nicknames. The Braves removed all direct references and stopped using a Native American mascot in 1994. The teams last met in 1989, a 63-57 Badger victory in the San Juan Shootout. The Badgers now have a 3-2

The next night, on 11/26/11, Bradley went back to wearing their red uniforms and lost to Nevada 64-49-

Nevada Holds Off Bradley, 64-59 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2011/11/27/205339012.aspx

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. ? Nevada guard Malik Story scored a game-high 20 points, capped by two free throws with 5.8 seconds remaining, to seal a 63-59 win against Bradley (3-3) in the consolation game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge Wednesday evening at the Sears Centre.

Bradley wore the new black uniforms one more time on 12/22/11 at Michigan in a nationally televised game. Geno Ford's first Bradley team played well, but lost 77-66-

#19 Michigan Pulls Away from Braves, 77-66 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2011/12/23/205351496.aspx

ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? Evan Smotrycz scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, leading #19/20 Michigan to a 77-66 victory against Bradley at Crisler Arena.

Bradley did not wear the black uniforms again that season, and after that season, the administration switched uniform manufacturer from Nike to Adidas. They had second thoughts about using the black uniforms, so they put them back in storage, and I do not believe they have ever been used again since.

So there must be 2 complete sets of these old Black Nike uniforms sitting in some storage room somewhere (the set that was used 4 different times during the 2009-10 & 2010-11 seasons, and the second set that was used twice in the 2011-12 season). If anyone knows anything about them, or if they still exist, let us know.

One more historical tidbit-
Does anyone recall that Bradley wore one other different colored uniform in a home game on a single occasion?
In a home game on 2/16/13 against conference opponent Indiana State, Bradley wore pink uniforms as a breast cancer awareness promotion.
Bradley won the game 80-68. The pink uniforms were auctioned off in a silent auction during that game, and have never been used again since.-

Bell Sparks Braves to Win, 80-68 - Bradley University Athletics

http://www.bubraves.com/news/2013/2/16/206442161.aspx

PEORIA, Ill. ? Freshman point guard Ka'Darryl Bell scored all of his career-best 10 points in the final 6:54, helping Bradley pull away for an 80-68 victory versus Indiana State Saturday afternoon.