UCLA baseball unveils Jackie Robinson-inspired uniforms
The UCLA baseball team has unveiled a new set of Jackie Robinson Day-themed uniforms just days before Major League Baseball's annual league-wide celebration of the game's color barrier being broken in 1947.
During an event at UCLA's Acosta Athletic Complex, players and athletic department officials provided an up-close look at the new uniforms. They were joined by Sonya Pankey, the eldest granddaughter of Robinson and the executive vice president of brand development for the Jackie Robinson Estate, who presented the jerseys.
UCLA officials said that the uniforms were developed in collaboration with Nika designers. They will be worn by the team in multiple games this season, with the soonest appearance coming in Tuesday's matchup with UC Santa Barbara. They will then be worn in a three-game series against Minnesota that begins on Friday.
The release and unveiling coincide with April 15, Robinson's birthday and the MLB celebration of when he broke baseball's color barrier with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The event sees every player, coach and umpire sport Robinson's No. 42 to honor the occasion.
Before his big league career, Robinson attended UCLA and played for four of their athletic teams, including baseball, football, basketball and track. He only played one season of baseball with the Bruins before he was drafted for World War II. His legacy with the team still lives on, though, as they play their home games at the Jackie Robinson Stadium on the Veterans Affairs' West Los Angeles campus.
Following his military career, Robinson briefly played football with the Pacific Coast Football League's Los Angeles Bulldogs before joining the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs.
Robinson debuted with the Dodgers on April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field against the New York Yankees. He went on to win Rookie of the Year and wrapped up his big league career as a six-time All-Star and the 1949 National League MVP. In 1962, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 2004, Major League Baseball officially began recognizing April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day.
The UCLA Bruins are 33-2 in 2026 and are currently in the midst of a 27-game winning streak. They're 18-0 in Big Ten Conference play and are scheduled to wrap up regular season play on May 16 before the NCAA Division I Tournament and then the College Baseball World Series, in which they'll seek their first title since 2013.
