Back to the College Football Uniforms
Minnesota’s revamped System of Dress Nike look unveiled in 2012 is simple but impressive, a pleasant change. The Golden Gophers’ tops and pants correspond well without stripes and piping and updated font for names and numbers provides a clean look.
On gamedays, Minnesota can combine gold, white and maroon jerseys with gold, white and maroon pants. Two different helmet colors add to the variety. The latest moisture wicking technology along with strategically placed padding and cool zones improves thermoregulation and provides the Gophers with one of the most advanced uniforms in the Big Ten.
One of the neatest details within Minnesota’s new threads is Nike’s Gopher-exclusive font. Swoosh designers borrowed a numeral from a Gophers uniform from the 1940s and mimicked the look for today’s apparel.
On the nameplate of Minnesota’s gold alternates, a “MINNESOTA” wordmark has been applied. Player names remain on the home and away tops. “SKI-U-MAH” is stitched inside the collar of all three jerseys, an ode to the Gophers’ Sioux battle cry and the university’s century-old slogan.
The Gophers’ current matte maroon helmet is meant to look like the brick walls of Memorial Stadium. A sublimated brick pattern inside jersey numerals is a nice touch. Prior to moving to a matte finish, Minnesota’s shiny maroon shells were worn since 1977 – excluding a five-year stretch in the mid 1990s when the Gophers opted for gold instead.
Minnesota’s “M” logo has been the centerpiece of gameday apparel since 1968. The Gophers have worn several different uniform designs during their partnership with Nike, but maroon and gold has remained constant in on-field garb.
Prior to the swoosh, Champion was Minnesota football’s chief outfitter.
