Minnesota Gophers Uniform Schedule 2026: Every Jersey and When the Gophers Wear It

Minnesota plays its colors straight: maroon, gold and white, mixed and matched across helmet, jersey and pants. This is the full Minnesota Gophers 2026 uniform schedule: the maroon home set, the gold jersey that came out for the Gold Out, the white road set, the chrome gold helmet that is back for 2026, and a week-by-week outlook for all twelve games in P.J. Fleck's tenth season. Through four games the Gophers have worn maroon over gold pants twice and gold over maroon pants once under the maroon helmet, and the chrome gold helmet finally came out on October 3 in the 20-14 win over Michigan. We update this page as each combination is confirmed.

The Minnesota Gophers 2026 Uniform Sets

The current Nike set arrived in 2024, the first full relaunch since 2018. It added shoulder stripes to the jerseys and stripes down the sides of the pants, moved the maroon jersey to gold numerals, put the outline of the state of Minnesota on the outside of the collar and stitched Ski-U-Mah inside it. The big 2026 news is on the helmet. In August the program posted a hype video with the message "Chrome is back," bringing back the chromed metallic gold helmet with a maroon and white M and stripe that the Gophers wore from 2018 through 2023. It made its 2026 debut on October 3 against Michigan. The other change is a first: starting September 12, the Visible logo sits on the back bumper of every Minnesota helmet. Big Ten home teams wear color and visitors wear white, so the road half of the schedule is predictable. The home dates come with themes, and those themes tell us a lot.

The Full Minnesota Gophers 2026 Uniform Schedule, Week by Week

September 3 vs. Eastern Illinois. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast and team photos: maroon helmet, maroon jersey, gold pants, the classic Minnesota home look for a Thursday night opener at Huntington Bank Stadium. Minnesota won 59-7, its 14th straight season opening at home. One calendar note: ESPN files this game under September 4 because its feed runs on UTC and a 7 p.m. Central kickoff lands past midnight in London. The correct date is Thursday, September 3.

September 12 vs. Mississippi State. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast and team photos: maroon helmet, gold jersey, maroon pants. The athletic department called this game the Gold Out, and the Gophers matched the stands with the gold jersey for the first SEC team to visit Minneapolis since Vanderbilt in 1959. It was also the debut of the Visible sponsor logo on the helmet bumper. Mississippi State wore white helmets and white jerseys and won 38-13; the Bulldogs side is on the Mississippi State 2026 uniform schedule.

September 19 vs. Akron. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: maroon helmet, maroon jersey, gold pants, the classic home look again for an 11 a.m. Central kickoff on High School Band, Cheer, and Dance Day. Akron answered in a gold helmet, white jersey and white pants. There was no sign of the chrome gold shell, which is the piece we keep waiting on. Minnesota won 41-7.

September 26 at Washington. ★ Confirmed from the game photos: maroon helmet, white jersey, white pants. Washington wore its all-black Dawgs set, black helmet, black jersey and black pants, for the blackout. Minnesota won the Big Ten opener 27-24: Drake Lindsey threw three first-half touchdown passes, Lorenzo Drzewiecki kicked a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Gophers are 3-1. The Washington 2026 uniform schedule has the details. ESPN lists this game under September 27 because of UTC; it is a Saturday night game.

October 3 vs. Michigan. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast and the game photos: chrome gold helmet, maroon jersey, maroon pants. The chrome is finally out, the gold shell with the maroon M, for the Stripe Out and the 100th Little Brown Jug game. Michigan wore the winged helmet, white jersey and blue pants. Minnesota trailed 14-7 at halftime, then Drzewiecki kicked two field goals and Drake Lindsey hit Darius Taylor for a 3-yard touchdown with 13:44 left, and the Gophers won 20-14 to bring the Jug home. Minnesota is 4-1. Michigan's side is on the Michigan 2026 uniform schedule.

October 10 at Purdue. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: maroon helmet, white jersey, white pants, the same road set as at Washington, for an 8 p.m. Eastern kickoff on BTN at Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue wore the gold helmet, black jersey and gold pants for its Hammer Down Cancer game. Purdue led 20-3 at halftime and won 41-13, and Minnesota is 4-2. The Boilermakers' side is on the Purdue 2026 uniform schedule.

October 17. Bye.

October 24 vs. Iowa. Maroon expected. Homecoming, a Maroon Out, and Floyd of Rosedale. With the crowd told to wear maroon, maroon is the call, with Iowa in white on the Iowa 2026 uniform schedule. Minnesota wore throwbacks for its 2024 homecoming, so this is a date to watch for a surprise. Kickoff is set for between 2 and 7 p.m. Central.

October 31 at Indiana. White expected. Halloween in Bloomington.

November 7 vs. UCLA. Maroon expected. Minnesota's Salute to Service game, which makes it a candidate for a patch or helmet decal. UCLA is in white on the UCLA 2026 uniform schedule.

November 14 at Penn State. White expected. The Governor's Victory Bell game at Beaver Stadium, against a Penn State team in navy, as shown on the Penn State 2026 uniform schedule.

November 21 vs. Northwestern. Maroon expected. Senior Day and the final home game of the season.

November 27 at Wisconsin. White expected. Paul Bunyan's Axe on Black Friday night at Camp Randall, a 6:30 p.m. Central kickoff, with Wisconsin in red on the Wisconsin 2026 uniform schedule. ESPN files this game under November 28 because of UTC. It is a Friday game.

The Bottom Line

Six games in, Minnesota has given us both of its color jerseys and, against Michigan on October 3, the chrome gold helmet. The rest of the Gophers uniform schedule is easy to read on the road: white in Seattle, West Lafayette, Bloomington, State College and Madison. At home, maroon is the default, the Maroon Out homecoming against Iowa is locked in, and the only real question now is whether the chrome gold helmet comes back for another home date. The grid above has every date, and we add the stars as each uniform is confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jersey is Minnesota wearing this week?

Minnesota wore the maroon helmet, white jersey and white pants at Purdue on Saturday, October 10, confirmed from the broadcast, in a 41-13 loss that dropped the Gophers to 4-2. The week before, they wore the chrome gold helmet, maroon jersey and maroon pants against Michigan and won 20-14 to take the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota has a bye on October 17, and next is Iowa at home on October 24, the Maroon Out homecoming, where maroon is expected. The week-by-week grid above lists every game with the expected set.

What are the Minnesota Gophers football uniforms for 2026?

A maroon home jersey with gold numerals, a gold jersey and a white road jersey, all from Nike and all with the striped shoulders introduced in 2024. The helmets are maroon, gold and white shells with the Block M, plus the returning chrome gold helmet. The pants come in maroon, gold and white.

When will Minnesota wear the chrome helmet in 2026?

It already has. The program confirmed the chrome gold helmet was back with a "Chrome is back" video in August, and it made its 2026 debut on October 3 against Michigan, with a maroon jersey and maroon pants, in a 20-14 win for the Little Brown Jug.

What did Minnesota wear against Mississippi State?

A maroon helmet, gold jersey and maroon pants. The game was the Gold Out, and it was the first game with the Visible logo on the back of the Gophers helmets. Mississippi State won 38-13.

Why does ESPN list the Washington and Wisconsin games on different dates?

ESPN's schedule feed runs on UTC. The Washington game kicked off at 10 p.m. Central on Saturday, September 26, and the Wisconsin game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Central on Friday, November 27, so both show the next day's date there. The opener against Eastern Illinois shows the same shift.

How many games does Minnesota play in 2026?

Twelve regular season games: six at Huntington Bank Stadium and six on the road, with a bye on October 17. The full schedule with expected uniforms is in the grid above.