Kliff Kingsbury's contract gives him full control of uniforms

Paul Myerberg and Steve Berkowitz | USA TODAY Sports

Kliff Kingsbury's quick-twitch impact on Texas Tech, his alma mater, is immediately recognizable in the Red Raiders' newfound offensive ingenuity, not to mention the team's rather unexpected rise into the nation's top 25. As a whole, the team has seemingly embraced the Kingsbury spirit – a little bit unorthodox, a little bit cocky, very much successful.

And as part of Kingsbury's contract with Texas Tech, officially completed in February, the Red Raiders will soon inherit the first-year coach's fashion sense.

Written into the contract is an agreement allowing Kingsbury "creative license" in the design of the football team's uniforms, which are supplied by the clothing and apparel company Under Armour. If Kingsbury and Texas Tech's athletic director – currently Kirby Hocutt – agree on the uniform design, Kingsbury then has "sole discretion" on choosing when his team dons specific uniform combinations.

"I wanted to have a big hand in all those decisions," Kingsbury told USA TODAY Sports. "It was important to me to have full control when it comes to that area."

To that end, Kingsbury's contract includes a unique fundraising role. If his choice of equipment and uniforms "exceeds the football program's budget," his contract reads, Kingsbury "may seek donations for such purpose" – essentially allowing him to serve as a fundraiser in this one area.

This distinctive uniform clause – not just creative license but also the ability to reach out and fundraise – separates Kingsbury from his peers on the FBS level.

"Me having played here and been an alumni here, there's obviously a lot of connections," Kingsbury said. "And so I felt like if it wasn't budgeted, or we went over budget with some of these looks – (if) some of these things got a little pricey – then I want to be able to go to outside sources that we're connected with and be able to handle that."

For this season, Kingsbury estimates his team will eventually wear seven or eight different combinations during the 12-game regular season. This month, the Red Raiders will wear unique uniforms for Saturday's game against Kansas State and a Nov. 28 date with Texas. By next season, "we'll really be able to unveil some fun, different, different styles think I think our players will really like," Kingsbury said.

"I had kind of a vision of what I think this place can be," he said, "and a lot of it has to do with being able to change up our looks and be enticing to potential student-athletes through doing different things with Under Armour to try to differentiate ourselves as far as styles, as far as uniforms go as far as the workout gear goes."

As at Oregon, which first popularized the uniform craze, Texas Tech hopes to utilize a deep stable of uniform options as a recruiting tool. Beyond that idea – as vital as it may be – Kingsbury envisions this creative license helping to define the football program as a whole.

"At all the schools I've been at, you hear the players talking about it: 'Hey, did you see so-and-so's uniforms this week?' So you just want to have as big a hand in creating that excitement for your own program as possible."