MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Gophers football team has released its new uniforms for 2018 – the H.Y.P.R.R. ELITE uniforms from Nike that, in the words of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, “embrace the past to create the future.”
The new uniforms were unveiled to the Gophers at 6 a.m. meeting Tuesday morning with Gopher alums Dom Barber, Marqueis Gray and Maxx Williams. Minnesota will have more than 100 possible uniform combinations in 2018, with three jerseys (maroon, white and anthracite), four pairs of pants (maroon, good, white and anthracite), three helmets (maroon, white and metallic, mirrored gold), and but ever-changing shoes, socks and facemasks.
DART GOLD RETURNS: Minnesota's new gold pants are a deeper shade of gold - a Dart Gold - that resembles what the Gophers previously wore, and according to the team, is “a shade that fans have longed to see again.”
GOLD HELMET: The gold helmet is also chrome, which again follows the theme of embracing the past to create the future. Minnesota's wore metallic gold helmets when Tony Dungy played quarterback for the Gophers.
ROW THE BOAT: A pattern of an oar, boat and compass are emblazoned on the jersey numbers and collar to represent head coach P.J. Fleck’s “Row The Boat” culture. An oar also makes up the center stripe on the helmet and a compass with the player's number inside of it is displayed on the back above the school's traditional Ski-U-Mah cheer.
WHAT IS H.Y.P.R.R? If “Row the Boat” is the mantra of the Gophers football program, H.Y.P.R.R. is the culture. The acronym is: How. Your. Process. Result. Response.
FIRST GAME WITH NEW UNIFORMS: Minnesota will wear its new H.Y.P.R.R. ELITE uniforms in a game for the first time when the Gophers host New Mexico State on Aug. 30 at TCF Bank Stadium.
EARLY LOOK: Gophers fans can get their first in-person glimpse of Minnesota's new uniforms at Tuesday night’s 7 p.m. women's basketball game at Williams Arena against Indiana and at Wednesday’s 8 p.m. men's basketball game against Iowa.