2015-2019 | Michigan Football Uniform Timeline — MVictors.com

2015-2019 | Michigan Football Uniform Timeline

For historical uniform changes follow the links by era:

September 21, 2019 | Madison, WI | vs. Wisconsin

JERSEY: Just as with the home jersey, Michigan traditional road (white) jersey also features the CFB 150 patch on right chest.

August 31, 2019 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Middle Tennessee State

JERSEY: Home (blue) jerseys feature white 3.5 x 1.7″ CFB 150 patch on right chest, above and to the right of the B1G logo.

Via CFB150.org: “To commemorate 150 years of college football, teams across the country will wear the CFB150 logo on uniform throughout the 2019 season. The program was approved by the NCAA Rules Committee for inclusion on uniforms during the 2019 season.” Teams were not required to participate in this program.

HELMET: The wings and the stripes feature a revised pattern – this is confirmed. The maize wings are larger with an enhanced hook on the ends. Also, the stripes now consistently converge at the back of the helmet above the neck pad.

HELMET: Helmet stickers are not awarded prior to the season opener (unlike 2018, see below).

December 29, 2018 | Atlanta, GA | Peach Bowl vs. Florida

JERSEY: Team wears home (blue) jerseys with maize pants. Bowl sponsor patch is placed on the left front of jersey.

HELMET: The team wears a bowl sponsor patch on the back-center of the helmet, over the middle stripe:

September 1, 2018 | Notre Dame, IN | vs. Notre Dame

HELMET: While there is no tangible change to the helmet stickers, for the first time in history they are awarded and affixed to Michigan helmets before the first game is played:

January 1, 2018 | Tampa, FL | Outback Bowl vs. South Carolina

JERSEY: Team wears white jerseys with sponsor patch on upper right chest:

October 21, 2017 | State College, PA | vs. Penn State

PANTS: For the first time since 2014, Michigan wear maize pants on the road (with the traditional white road jersey).

September 9, 2017 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Cincinnati

HELMET: Helmet stickers return for 2017 with a slight redesign. The decal is slightly smaller and the blue border is removed. Also, there is a slight font change on the helmet sticker number.

September 2, 2017 | Dallas, TX | vs. Florida, AdvoCare Classic

JERSEY: Michigan wears the all-maize uniform. The inner neckline features the phrase, “THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS.”

HELMET: The warning sticker is moved to the back/center of the helmet.

August 28, 2017 | U-M Athletic Department press release

JERSEY/PANTS/SHOES: The U-M Athletic Department announces that Michigan will be wearing an “All-Maize” uniform in the season opener against Florida.

U-M all-maize uniform, via U-M media relations (2017)

Notes from the press release:

The University of Michigan and University of Florida football programs will wear special uniforms for their match-up in the AdvoCare Classic held this Saturday, Sept. 2, at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The Wolverines’ apparel provider, Jordan Brand, and the Gators’ provider, NIKE, have teamed to create special uniforms that simultaneously express the heritage and future of each program.
Michigan will wear a new all-maize uniform in celebration of the University of Michigan Bicentennial and in honor of the 150-year anniversary of the school’s official colors: maize and blue. The team will wear its traditional maize pants that have been worn in home games for nearly a century.
This is the second time in school history that Michigan has worn a maize jersey. The program donned a maize jersey with blue numbers against the U.S. Naval Academy in 1928.
The Wolverines are wearing an alternate uniform for the sixth time since the 2011 season. It will be the first time that U-M has worked with current apparel provider, Jordan Brand, on a special uniform.

December 30, 2016 | Miami, FL | Orange Bowl vs. Florida State

JERSEY: Team wears white jerseys with bowl sponsor patch inside right shoulder:

HELMET: Large bowl sponsor sticker affixed to the back of the helmet:

October 8, 2016 | Piscataway, NJ | vs. Rutgers

Team wears road NIKE uniforms for the first time. Uniform elements are similar to the 2015 road design with a few subtle differences: The maize band on the sleeve is a lighter shade of maize (NIKE Amarillo) and the band itself is thicker vs. 2015:

September 10, 2016 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Central Florida

Helmet stickers return for 2016, slightly redesigned:

2016 version of the helmet sticker includes the following changes:

COLOR: Tone of maize matches the uniform maize (the NIKE Amarillo) and the the navy is darker.
SIZE: The stickers are a quarter inch smaller and there’s no clear outline outside the edge
POSITION: In 2016 the head of the wolverine will face forward (toward the facemask).

September 3, 2016 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Hawaii

The team wears Nike apparel for the first time since January 1, 2008 (Capital One Bowl vs. Florida) and several elements of the gear feature the Jordan Brand “Jumpman” logo. Additional details:

JERSEYS: Nike Jumpman logo on left chest. Uniforms are blue with a slight change to the maize, officially PMS 7406, and Nike label the color tone “Amarillo” (yellow in Spanish).

HELMET: Paint is changed to satin (not quite matte) finish. Maize flakes/flecks removed. Helmet nose bumper changes to a flat maize M on a blue background.

JERSEY NUMBERS: As a salute to 1930s and the relationship between Present Gerald Ford and his friend Michigan football player and track star Willis Ward, the font of the #4 reflects the design to match Ford’s and seen in this 1934 team photo (right):

PANTS: Nike Jumpman logo on hip:

August 1, 2016 | Ann Arbor, MI

APPAREL CONTRACT: On this day NIKE officially replaces Adidas as the official athletic footwear, apparel and equipment provider until 2027, with an option to extend to 2031. The agreement includes:

NIKE supplying all 31 of U-M’s athletics programs with uniforms, footwear, apparel and equipment.
U-M and NIKE collaborating throughout the agreement on innovation initiatives in sports technology, design and best practices..
Use of the Jordan Brand “Jumpman” apparel for football, and men’s and women’s basketball.

January 1, 2016 | Orlando, FL | Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl vs. Florida

JERSEY: Team wears white jerseys with sponsor patch on left chest:

HELMET: Team wears sponsor sticker on the back of helmet:

November 28, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Ohio State

JERSEY/LEGENDS: Michigan officially re-retires jersey numbers #11,#48,#47,#87,#98 and retires the #21 of Desmond Howard.

November 14, 2015 | Bloomington, IN | vs. Indiana

HELMET: To honor Chad Carr (the grandson of former head coach Lloyd Carr) who is battling terminal brain cancer, U-M players write messages on their helmets #CHADTOUGH:

September 12, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | vs. Oregon State

HELMET: Helmet stickers, awarded following Utah game, appear on the winged helmet for the first time since 1994:

Effectively this is a copy of the 1985-1994 (Version #3) helmet sticker, with a blue ring around the oval and a darker maize tone. There are two versions of the sticker, one facing left, the other right. Here’s a pre-affixed 2015 sticker [H/T Matthew Gordon].

JERSEY: Blue tone on the home jersey is darker.
PANTS: Maize tone on home pants is darker.
Items removed from home uniform in 2015:

Block M from back neckline of JERSEY
Block M on PANTS (it had appeared since 1993)

September 7, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | Press Conference

HELMET: At a press conference prior to the Oregon State game, head coach Jim Harbaugh confirms that the helmet stickers were awarded and placed on helmets following the September 3, 2015 game against Utah.

September 3, 2015 | Salt Lake, City UT | vs. Utah

JERSEY/PANTS: All-white jersey and pants combination return for the first time since 1976 Orange Bowl and include with maize and blue stripes on the end of sleeves and down the side of the pants. The design mimics road uniform design worn for the 1973-1975 seasons. Maize and blue tones are darker [this is confirmed with U-M equipment staff].

Items removed from away/road uniform:

Block M from back neckline of JERSEY
Block M on PANTS (it had appeared since 1993)

HELMET: Wings painted with a darker tone of maize than in previous seasons.

August 13, 2015 | via Twitter

APPAREL CONTRACT: Michael Jordan tweets a short video in which he appears and states, “I’d like to introduce my first football team to the Jordan family. Go Blue.”

Later, on September 2, 2015, Michigan AD Jim Hackett confirms the “Jumpman” logo will appear on the 2016 uniforms: “(The Jumpman logo) is on the uniform,” Hackett said Wednesday. “I’ve seen the design.”

July 28, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | Press Release

LEGENDS/JERSEY: Via a press release from the athletic department:

The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced today (July 28) plans to take the jerseys associated with the Michigan Football Legends back off the field. Gerald Ford (#48), Tom Harmon (#98), Desmond Howard (#21), Ron Kramer (#87), Bennie Oosterbaan (#47) and the Wistert brothers (#11) — Albert, Alvin and Whitey — will have their jerseys retired in a ceremony against Ohio State on Nov. 28.

At this time, Howard’s No. 21 jersey will officially be retired. Howard’s was the only jersey of the six that was not formally retired at Michigan prior to the implementation of the legends program.

July 6, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | Press Release

APPAREL CONTRACT: Via mgoblue.com press release: “The University of Michigan has reached an agreement in principle with NIKE to become the Wolverines’ official athletic footwear, apparel and equipment provider to 2027, with an option to extend the deal to 2031. The partnership will commence August 1, 2016 and will see NIKE supply all 31 of U-M’s athletics programs with uniforms, footwear, apparel and equipment.”

March 31, 2015 | Ann Arbor, MI | Session with AD Hackett at The Michigan League

APPAREL CONTRACT: Via the Michigan Daily. While addressing a group of 20 students at the Michigan League, AD Jim Hackett acknowledges U-M is reevaluating the apparel sponsorship:

We’ve organized — this is a secret — a project team to look at the question of, there’s really three players: Adidas, Under Armour and Nike.

For additional Uniform Timeline history, select the time period below:

A huge thanks for the input into the Uniform Timeline to Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis, Craig Barker of The Hoover Street Rag, and Brandon Ho for the shots from his personal bowl jersey collection.