The gridiron rivalry between Michigan and Notre Dame dates back to 1887 when the Wolverines travelled to South Bend, Ind. to teach the Fighting Irish the sport. Since then the programs have met 37 times in one of college football's most anticipated showdowns.
This fall history will be made as Michigan Stadium hosts its first ever night game when the teams square off on Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. In a nod to the historic event, both teams will wear retro uniforms, the designs which were released on Friday.
While neither uni is retro per se, each contains elements of past uniform looks.
"The compilation of elements from different eras of Michigan football makes this a unique and special uniform," said Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon during Friday night's announcement. "Our players have seen other schools and professional teams wear throwback uniforms and will now have an opportunity to showcase our tradition in a melding of styles."
The Wolverines' pants will remain the traditional maize color, but the jersey sports the Michigan "M" logo in the center with the number to the upper right. The shoulder design also includes maize stripes while the helmet's winged design will add each player's number to the side.
"Michigan's maize and blue jersey is one of the most iconic in all of sports and this new vintage-inspired uniform highlights design cues from throughout Michigan's rich football tradition honoring 132 years of championship football," said Jon Yuska, director of sports licensing design for adidas.
Notre Dame will wear visiting white uniforms with Kelly green numerals instead of navy blue ones. Much like the Michigan design, the ND jersey also has shoulder stripes. On the inside hem of the jersey, each of the school's 11 National Championship seasons is listed.
The traditional gold pants have also been slightly altered to give more of a retro appearance, which will be paired with white socks and white cleats. Finally, the gold helmet will have a green shamrock for the first time since the 1960s.
"Since 1997, adidas and Notre Dame have had a strong relationship and we are glad to produce an exciting opportunity for our student-athletes and fans by creating vintage uniforms for this game," said Notre Dame Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick at Friday's news conference. We look forward to working with adidas in honoring our unparalleled history and tradition while also focusing on new and innovative initiatives for the future."
Last season Michigan defeated Notre Dame 28-24 at Notre Dame Stadium en route to a 7-6 finish, while the Fighting Irish ended the season with an 8-5 mark. The Wolverines lead the all-time series 22-15-1.
