The Gopher football team’s decision to wear black helmets, jerseys and pants in their 25-6 win over Eastern Michigan ruffled the feathers of fans who prefer the more traditional maroon and gold look.
In a five-minute long rant about the uniforms, head coach PJ Fleck says he’s “here to uphold that tradition.”
“Our traditional colors are maroon and gold,” Fleck said. “Always will be. Always will be. Always will be. No one is taking that away.”
“We haven’t changed the mascot. We haven’t changed the name. We haven’t changed the colors,” Fleck continued. “We’re adding a little flavor to it. That’s all.”
The 42-year-old head coach said the uniform decisions are about what the players want.
“Everything we do is about the players that are on that field,” Fleck said. “The student-athletes love it. Our student-body loves it. The young people love it. And I get it but that’s why we do something a little different every week for everyone.”
Fleck was quick to point out the Gophers aren’t the only team to buck tradition and add in a black uniform. Ohio State has worn them four times in recent years.
wear.
black.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/dydQwUycgg— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 21, 2022
Last month, Florida announced they’ll wear a black alternate jersey for the first time in school history this November.
“Every week our players get to have a piece and a voice to what we wear,” said Fleck. “Our players have a massive voice within these walls. I want them to feel really good about what they do, how they look, how they present themselves. On the field. Off the field. In their uniforms. It’s something that they wanted.”
Fleck said there’s no “disrespect towards” the fans in letting the players have the say on uniforms.
“I had a lot of emails about it,” Fleck said about the response he received from longtime fans. “I appreciate that but I also got just as many, if not more, about how people liked them. Again, it’s about the student-athletes. Everything we do is about the student-athletes.”
