Michigan football sports some of the most iconic looks of any program in the sport and a lot of that has to do with what doesn’t change for the Wolverines. Namely that would be the historic maize and blue uniform combination with the always recognizable winged helmet.
It appears the team is being dragged into the 21 Century however and that will soon include a -- gasp! -- alternate uniform look for the team in 2017. Confirming the rumors this week was none other than head coach Jim Harbaugh, who had a hand in helping design the updated look for the team.
“At least once this year,” he said at a satellite camp, according to the Detroit Free Press. “Some people like the element of surprise. I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say. I know which game it’s going to be but I don’t want to steal somebody else’s thunder.”
Michigan already updated their standard uniform combination last season as a result of their new deal with Nike that included transitioning over to the Jordan brand. Given how the apparel company has introduced various alternative uniform combinations for just about every program they outfit, it probably seemed like only a matter of time before the Wolverines joined the trend as well.
This has not been the only time that a different look has been discussed around Ann Arbor but something says it’s only palatable to the tradition-rich fan base because it’s coming straight from Harbaugh and not somebody else. The coach played coy as to just how much input he had and what game the team would debut the look for but something says they’re not saving it up for a trip to Indiana or the home date against Rutgers.