Among the most highly prized possessions that any college basketball player can hope for is their college basketball jersey. The college basketball jersey represents a feeling of pride and belonging to the team.

But the feeling is not restricted to the team. Jerseys are also prized by fellow students, who show up at college games dressed in the same colors to cheer on their team.

Anyone who loves the game will have a favorite team and player. Wearing their jersey creates a special bond.

Some Like It Hot

Due to the heat of indoor playing conditions, basketball jerseys are made of thin material, mostly of mock mesh, dazzle, tricot mesh or pro mesh materials. Jerseys are always sleeveless because long sleeved jerseys would cause the players to sweat too much, creating not only uncomfortable conditions, but unhealthy ones as well. The jerseys are also worn long and loose with large armholes for ventilation.

The NCAA is very strict about the way basketball jerseys are worn on the court and requires all players to tuck in their jerseys.

Color, Numbers And Styles

The tank top jerseys are worn with shorts, which are long and baggy with stretchable waistbands and drawstrings. Each jersey is embossed with the team logo, player number and team name. Every college team likes to customize its basketball jersey, and comes up with a unique color plan.

There are a number of manufacturers who produce wonders with the jersey designs and styles. Reversible jerseys use contrasting fabric on both the inside and outside surfaces, so that they can be worn either way.

The player's number is required to be on both the back and the front of the jersey. The height of these numbers is required to be 8 inches on the back and 6 inches on the front side. The names of the players are printed in 2-inch high letters. Shortly after 9/11, the NCAA began to allow players to wear the American flag on the jerseys using a 4-inch side insert for this purpose.

Collector's Items

The demand for replica college jerseys always goes up when the NCAA tournament season begins. There is also a big demand for jerseys worn by the top basketball stars. These replica jerseys, available at several online stores, make a great collector's item for the avid basketball fan.

Visit Fan Jerseys to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Articles for authors

Copyright 2006 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.