Indy Eleven release their new kits for 2026...I have thoughts

Ever since Under Armour was announced as the new kit supplier for the Indy Eleven in 2024, there has been nothing but complaints from Indy fans. These new kits ahead of the 2026 season continue that trend

Before I dive into this year’s kits, let me recap some of the prior problems.

• 2024 - first kits got released with UA, it was clear early on that the kits would be 100% sublimated. That didn’t sit well with the kit community and especially for a USL-Championship side. It was also evident the quality of the kits weren’t good. There were player complaints the 2024 edition kits were too thin but also made it difficult to breath in.
• 2025 - shirt sizes about 2XL would NOT be made by UA. Instead they would have an altered design and made in house from the Indy Shop - where all Indy Eleven gear can be found.

• 2026 - quality issues continue. In a preseason match vs Pittsburgh, a long sleeve shirt got easily ripped up during a tackle.

For all of these issues from a Big 4 brand here in North American sports, the designs generally were custom. It appeared that Indy Eleven were given top priority in terms of creativity and effort. Then the 2026 kits got released.

On the surface, the design is a simple diagonal stripe with accent lines running along side it. The red, white and blue colors look good and contrast well as a set. I am a fan of the collar and cuffs. I was personally wishing for racing stripes vs a sash, but overall it is a good design.

Then you look further into it. You can see the Indy Eleven crest is in different location on the home kit for each player. The block for the sponsor cuts off the stripe. Normally nothing wrong with that. Need to find ways to provide an area for a kit sponsor. However, the Indy crest isn’t fully covered by the stripe, gets cuts off (either half way of 3/4 of the way), and the crest is in different locations on a kit to kit basis. Overall sloppy execution from Under Armour.

I’ve given Under Armour the benefit of the doubt since 2024 as I could see effort from the supplier. These new kits come across as low budget, low effort - both from the club and supplier. This is even more apparent when you go onto Under Armour’s website and notice the design of the kits is an Under Armour template…that broke the camel’s back for me.

Prior to Indy Eleven, Under Armour was primarily a supplier to US colleges and universities. Now they have a few J-League teams and Sydney FC from Australia (which I love what they’ve done with Sydney). The honeymoon phase or the “we are figuring this out phase” is over and I think it is time to move on from Under Armour.

Majority of the gear sold at the shop isn’t from Under Armour, and most of the UA gear is training gear/kits. Maybe Hummel, Capelli, or Charly can step in - all of these were or are have deals to be the official suppliers of the USL.

For a club that wants to be treated like a top club in the USL - and aim for MLS or USL Premier - things like this are an example as to why Indy isn’t considered a top club. There is a passionate fan base, a vocal supporter’s group, and one of the best crests in the US. However, the cutting of corners on something as trivial but important as kits highlights just how cheap this club is willing to be.

-Brett