Arizona State University is the talk of the town, and it is only April. After months, weeks and days of anticipation, the future of Sun Devil Athletics appeared before our eyes.

The bold statement was made in the form of a brand new logo and an added color to the Sun Devil’s base colors. Now, ASU will be represented by a pitchfork and Sun Devil maroon, gold and, of course, black.

However, black is not foreign to the Sun Devil population, just foreign to infant eyes. Respecting the past was Nike and ASU’s goal with the rebranding, and now the 1950s Sun Devil teams will be remembered each time ASU dons their new black helmet.

Perhaps even more intriguing; for the first time ever, Arizona State has a second helmet. 

In today’s game of college football, many teams across the country have two, three or even four helmets to choose from on game day. Now, ASU is mentioned in the same breath as Oregon, TCU and Boise State, just because of the uniform enhancements. 

And yes, these changes and modifications to anything Arizona State is an enhancement.

No one wanted these uniform changes to be drastic or off the cusp, and ASU stayed traditional while making a statement.

Maroon and gold jerseys will still run out of the tunnel to the delight of thousands across the valley.

Now imagine the environment the first time Dennis Erickson’s squad races out of Tillman Tunnel in black uniforms head to toe; pretty impressive right?

Black uniforms have taken this country by storm, but few manage to wear the color gracefully. This fall, ASU will be one of those schools.

Although the new Sun Devil uniforms are a step up from the ultra conservative block-lettered uniforms of the past decade, one radical movement persisted.

Sparky, Arizona State’s beloved mascot and primary helmet decal of the last thirty years has been downsized. Sparky has not been removed, just shifted in location, to make way for the ASU pitchfork.

The jerseys do not have Sparky stitched to the shoulder or breastplate; the place he calls home is still ASU’s helmet, right next to the American flag.

Sparky was the concern of many Sun Devil faithful in the building weeks, now a sigh of relief rolls through the valley.

However, the athletic department reassured the maroon and gold faithful many times, that Sparky was not going away.

Sparky will patrol the sidelines, warding off any opponents, and keeping with tradition, our beloved mascot will still grace us every time ASU scores with his customary push-ups.  

After all, the only concern fans should have is how many push-ups Sparky will perform on game days?

The uniforms will not dictate the score, but they do project an attitude. In Tempe, that attitude has taken hold of the population.

Now, how long will the buzz last?

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