Minnesota’s ultimate jersey tournament primer: Meet the field

Welcome to the ultimate Minnesota jersey tournament.

While the sports world continues to be on hold due to the coronavirus, we’ve decided to take this time to decide which uniform in the history of Minnesota sports is truly the best of all time.

But we’re leaving it up to the fans.

The uniform committee at FOX Sports North put together a full 64-jersey bracket featuring nearly every professional team in the state – past and present – and various Division I, II and III universities across Minnesota. The uniforms are categorized into four regions: Modern, Retro, Vintage and College.

Every weekday, we’ll release two matchups for fans to vote on. Submit your opinion by voting on our polls via Twitter (@fsnorth), Facebook and Instagram (@fsnorth).

Let’s get to know the tournament field.

MODERN REGION

Favorite: The Minnesota Timberwolves’ top-seeded “Prince alternate” from the 2018-19 season is going to be tough to beat. Although the red Twins jersey (No. 8 seed) and Wolves’ MSP threads (No. 9 seed) are solid, the “Prince alternate” has a clear path to the Sweet 16.

Sleeper: Waitin’ all day for Thursday night. The Vikings’ color rush jerseys may have been snubbed with a No. 7 seed in this region. The glowing yellow might not pair well with the Vikings’ helmet, but it goes wonderfully with a pair of Alexander Mattison’s flashy shoes or Adam Thielen’s yellow gloves. If the color rush threads get past the Minnesota Whitecaps (No. 10 seed), the second-seeded Twins home uniform might be in trouble.

Best first-round matchup: The battle of St. Paul in the No. 6 vs. No. 11 matchup is one to watch. If Minnesota United FC fans are passionate about one thing, it’s wings. The Loons gave a nod to the past by adding wings to their kits ahead of the 2020 season, just like they donned during the early years in the NASL. In the other corner, it’s the Wild’s 11th-seeded alternate from 2009-17. This jersey was far better than Minnesota’s red home jersey at the time, which is in the Retro region as the No. 13 seed.

Upset watch: Like a red-hot mid-major team in the NCAA tournament, the 12th-seeded St. Paul Saints could take down the fifth-seeded Minnesota Wild home green sweater. The Saints have a big following, and even better, a timeless look.

RETRO REGION

Favorite: In a region that’s extremely top-heavy, the No. 1 seed “KG era” black alternates from the glory days of the Timberwolves is still head and shoulders above the rest. It’s going to be hard to sneak past the evergreen tree trim.

Sleeper: Winning often shapes opinions of fans when it comes to jerseys. That’s exactly what the Minnesota Lynx did in the threads we named “dynasty – white.” The 10th-seeded jersey knows its way around a high-stakes playoff bracket.

Best first-round matchup: Like most tournaments, we expect No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup to be tighter than most. Will fans side with the Twins’ road grays from the early 2000s or the beautiful green-on-green Wild alternates from the days of Andrew Brunette crushing the dreams of the Colorado Avalanche?

Upset watch: We’re not sure if anyone remembers the Minnesota Swarm, a team in the National Lacrosse League from 2004-15, but man, they had some nice threads. The honeycomb shoulders and the blue-and-yellow pattern down the sleeves make an aesthetically-pleasing look, no matter how big of a lacrosse fan you are. The Swarm probably won’t knock off the No. 6 seed (“KG era” – away), but it might be closer than you think.

VINTAGE REGION

Favorite: Calling the Vintage region “stacked” would be an understatement. There are probably 11 jerseys in this region that have a legitimate shot at making a run to the Final Four. But perhaps none better than one of the two North Stars uniforms, seeded at No. 1 and No. 7. The State of Hockey loves some Neal Broten nostalgia.

Sleeper: Another team that departed the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the 13th-seeded Minneapolis Lakers threads could make a mess of the vintage region if they sneak by the fourth-seeded Purple People Eaters uniforms. Just look at those striped socks. Sid Hartman is smiling somewhere.

Best first-round matchup: The fact that the white North Stars jersey is seeded at No. 7 is crazy. The Twins’ World Series’ pinstripes at No. 10 might be even crazier. Whichever jersey comes out on top in the first round, it sets up one of the strongest second-round matchups against (more than likely) the Timberwolves’ No. 2 seed original blues.

Upset watch: If there’s one jersey that could defeat the North Stars in the Vintage region, it might be the ninth-seeded Minnesota Fighting Saints uniform. The Fighting Saints are fueled by that same nostalgia weapon the North Stars will thrive on. And we know which way former Wild head coach Bruce Boudrea will vote here.

COLLEGE REGION

Favorite: The University of Minnesota owns the first two seeds in the College region, and rightly so. But the third-seeded UMD Bulldogs hockey jersey is our pick to come out of this region. We now officially welcome all of the opinions of college hockey fans in our mentions.

Sleeper: Is there a cleaner jersey in this region than the 11th-seeded softball jersey out of Minnesota State University, Mankato? The purple pants and socks pair well with the purple sleeve, and the double stripe down the leg is a timeless classic on the basepaths. Good luck to Bemidji State in the first round.

Best first-round matchup: Sadly, there’s only one matchup remaining in the MIAC rivalry on the gridiron between St. John’s and St. Thomas. The good news is there’s another one — the No. 8 vs. No. 9 first-round clash in the jersey tournament. It might get heated.

Upset watch: Concordia-St. Paul is, by far, the strongest No. 15 seed in the tournament and will give second-seeded Gophers women’s hockey a run for its money. The bear claw stickers on the helmet are a nice touch.