2000-2009 | Michigan Football Uniform Timeline

Scroll down for a timeline of Michigan football team uniforms changes through history. 

Guidelines: Changes are restricted to helmet, jersey, and pants but include variations of colors, designs, patches, decals, etc.  Game-to-game notes only highlight deviations from the recent trend or traditional uniform look. Before posting, updates are confirmed by photos or by U-M officials.

For historical uniform changes follow the links by era:

2020-Current > Click here | 2015-2019 > Click here | 2010-2014 > Click here | 2000-2009 > Click here | 1990-1999 > Click here | 1980-1989 > Click here | 1970-1979 > Click here | 1940-1969 > Click here | 1867-1939 > Click here


2008 Season | All games

JERSEY: “Those who stay will be champions!” and “M GO BLUE” sewed inside jerseys.  Interior of shoulder lists each year U-M won the Big Ten championship. Adidas logo replaces Nike logo and appears below the collar in the middle front of the jersey.
JERSEY:  Maize “horns” below and alongside numbers are added to away/road jerseys.

Michigan football uniform 2008

January 1, 2008 | Orlando, FL | Capital One Bowl vs. Florida

APPAREL CONTRACT: This is the final Nike-branded jersey as the Adidas contract starts with the 2008 football season.
JERSEY:  Jerseys include Capital One Bowl sponsor patch on left chest on white jersey:

Mike Hart Jersey 2008 Capital One Bowl


July 2007 | Ann Arbor, MI

APPAREL CONTRACT:  U-M signs contract with adidas for footwear and apparel for all 25 U-M athletic teams. The new agreement begins with the 2008-09 academic year and extends through the 2015-2016 athletic season.

January 1, 2007 | Pasadena, CA | Rose Bowl vs. USC
HELMET:  Team honors Bo Schembechler and Gerald Ford, who passed away in November and December 2006 respectively, with 48/BO helmet sticker:

BO 48December 28, 2005 | San Antonio, TX | Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska
JERSEY:  Bowl logo/sponsor patch on right chest on white jersey:
Chad Henne - Alamo Bowl

2005 | All Games
JERSEY:
  Nike introduces a lighter-weight material to the jerseys with design changes.  Per an athletic department press release:

The two most visible changes to the U-M jerseys are the names/numbers and the modifications to the away uniform. The player numbers and names on both jerseys will be tackle twill and are stitched on rather than silk screened like the previous jerseys. The Wolverines away jersey returns to an older version (1976) with the removal of the Block ‘M’ from the sleeves and the incorporation of the numbers to the sleeve rather than the shoulder. It also adds the maize piping along the shoulder line to separate the two fabrics.

2005

January 1, 2005 | Pasadena, CA | Rose Bowl vs. Texas
JERSEY:  Rose Bowl patch on right breast, shoulders decorated with different designs denoting back-to-back Big Ten championships (right), and Rose Bowl (left):

2005 Rose Bowl Jersey - Michigan
2005 2
2005 3

January 1, 2004 | Pasadena, CA | Rose Bowl vs. USC
JERSEY:  Shoulders are decorated with ‘Michigan’ Rose Bowl logo.  Left shoulder reads ‘Rose Bowl Jan 1, 2004’, right shoulder ‘Big Ten Champions 2003’.

2004

November 22, 2003 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Ohio State
JERSEY: Michigan wears a patch on the right chest commemorating the 100th game between the two schools

Michigan Ohio State 100th Game - 2003 - Chris Perry

January 1, 2003 | Tampa, FL | Outback Bowl vs. Florida
JERSEY: Blue jerseys with bowl logo and sponsor patch on shoulders.

2003 Outback

January 1, 2002 | Orlando, FL | Citrus Bowl vs. Tennessee
JERSEY: White jerseys with bowl logo and sponsor patch on right chest, with game date below.

Citrus2

September 22, 2001 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Western Michigan
JERSEY: U-M adds American flag patch on the left chest, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

January 1, 2000 | Miami, FL | Orange Bowl vs. Alabama
JERSEY: White jerseys with sponsor patch on left chest, silk-screened ‘Michigan Orange Bowl, Jan 1, 2000’ on right chest.  Note the absence of shoulder logo/Big Jonnies in a bowl game.
2000 Orange Bowl Jersey - Michigan


Browse additional periods of Michigan Uniform history here:

2020-Current > Click here | 2015-2019 > Click here | 2010-2014 > Click here | 2000-2009 > Click here | 1990-1999 > Click here | 1980-1989 > Click here | 1970-1979 > Click here | 1940-1969 > Click here | 1867-1939 > Click here