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With the official announcement that the San Jose Earthquakes have partnered with Sutter Health to be the club's jersey sponsor, there was also news that the new 2016 secondary kit will be unveiled on Wednesday. The new design features a prominent vertical red stripe on the front of the jersey and all-red sleeves. As is the case with all new Adidas jerseys, the companies iconic three stripes run down the sides of the jersey as opposed to their previous prominent placement along the shoulders and sleeves.
The Earthquakes will be featuring a new away kit for the fourth straight season. Prior to the rebranding in 2014, the Quakes used an all-blue design to complement their all-black home jersey. The following year, the club paid homage to its NASL past with an all-red design that was very popular with fans and players alike. Last season, the away jersey was essentially an inverse design to that of 2014, with everything red replaced with white. 2016 takes the all-white design and adds back some of the popular red elements.
The addition of a jersey sponsor ahead of the 2016 season is a major milestone for the Earthquakes, as the team was the only one in MLS not to have such a partnership. Jersey sponsorship money is often viewed as asset for clubs, especially in terms of spending on player contracts. San Jose last had a jersey sponsorship with Amway, but that was terminated more than three years ago.
The Earthquakes primary kit design in 2016 will not undergo any changes: The familiar blue shirt with black sleeves pattern introduced along with the club's rebranded logo in January 2014 remains the home jersey for 2016. The addition of the Sutter Health logo across the chest of both the home and away jersey provides a look of completeness.
Fans will get their first look at both the home and away jerseys at Wednesday's season ticket holder only event at Avaya Stadium, featuring the first team scrimmaging against the Academy team. The home jersey went on sale Tuesday and the new away jersey should be available for purchase starting March 1.
What do you think of the new Earthquakes away jersey. Do you like the inclusion of more red elements to the basic white design. Are you planning to stock up on new gear ahead of the 2016 season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.