The Illinois football program announced on Wednesday that it will wear 1924 throwback uniforms against Michigan on Oct. 19 to mark the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium’s dedication and rededication that afternoon.
The uniforms were designed to mirror what the Fighting Illini wore against the Wolverines on Oct. 18, 1924, when All-American halfback Red Grange—the “Galloping Ghost”—scored six touchdowns in a 39-14 victory.
The navy blue jerseys feature tannish-gold vertical stripes that form a pyramid on the chest, a common design during that era. They also feature white numbers with a blue stroke on the front and back.
The jerseys also have Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary logo on the right shoulder, which will also be worn on Illinois’ standard blue home and white road jerseys this season.
Meanwhile, the tannish-gold in the stripes is carried over to the pants, which will be paired with navy blue socks. The uniforms are complete with hand-painted helmets that replicate their original leather design.
The helmets were painted by Armando Villarreal, the owner of an airbrushing company in Nebraska and one of only two artists in the nation who specialize in airbrushing football helmets.
They are a slightly different shade of tan than the jersey stripes and pants, just like the leather helmets the Fighting Illini wore in 1924, and include details such as straps, stitching and holes, as well as a large Block “I” on the back.
“The program has done some throwbacks in the past, but it was really important to be more accurate to the time the stadium opened,” director of football equipment operations Jake Rosch said. “We kicked around some ideas, but we ultimately settled on recreating Red Grange’s uniform from 1924.
“One hundred years ago, the jerseys all had very similar designs, so we knew what would set us apart in that overall aesthetic was a leather helmet and to create that textured look. On the helmet, there are straps that go over the top and form a sun pattern, but the only way to accomplish that was for it to be hand-painted.”
In addition to the hand-painted helmets, Illinois will also wear three throwback designs—including the four stars, an arched “Illini,” and the underlined “Illinois”—and its standard Block “I” lids this season.
The Fighting Illini will also wear a Block “I” with Stars and Stripes for their annual Military Appreciation Game, which gives them five helmet designs to choose from during Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary.
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