IU Football to Wear Retro Adidas Uniforms Honoring Teams From 1980s, 1990s
9/2/2021 9:13:00 PM | Football
Bloomington, Ind. – Indiana Football is amid one of its greatest eras of success, with back-to-back bowl trips and four postseason appearances in the last six years. Later this season, Head Coach Tom Allen's team will honor another era of IU Football greatness when it wears uniforms reminiscent of those worn by some of the late Coach Bill Mallory's best teams.
The Hoosiers will wear uniforms that mirror those worn by Mallory's teams from 1987-96 during the sold out Sept. 18 home game against No. 10 Cincinnati. The uniforms are part of the adidas Reverse Retro Collection, which will also be available for fans to purchase beginning Sept. 6 through adidas.com, Fanatics.com, and the Indiana University Bookstore.
The differences between the retro uniforms and those currently worn by IU teams are stark. Among the most obvious changes are on the helmet, where the Block I returns, along with black and white center stripes and black facemask. The uniforms, meanwhile, will once again say "Hoosiers" across the chest, as opposed to "Indiana."
As the winningest coach in IU Football history, Mallory enjoyed tremendous success during the decade that these uniforms were worn in the 1980s and 1990s. From 1987-93, Mallory's teams went a combined 47-32-3, made five bowl appearances, and won the 1988 Liberty Bowl and the 1991 Copper Bowl. IU finished in the top four in the Big Ten on three different occasions, including a runner-up finish in 1987.
Those great teams, meanwhile, also included some of IU Football's all-time great players. Most notable of those is 1989 Heisman Trophy runner-up and two-time Big Ten MVP Anthony Thompson, who set NCAA records for career rushing yards, career touchdowns and single-game rushing yards during his Hoosier career. Other past IU greats to play during the era include running back Vaughn Dunbar (1st team All-American and sixth in 1991 Heisman voting), quarterback Trent Green (15-year NFL career and two-time Pro Bowl selection) and wide receiver Ernie Jones (1987 Big Ten MVP).
The Hoosiers will wear uniforms that mirror those worn by Mallory's teams from 1987-96 during the sold out Sept. 18 home game against No. 10 Cincinnati. The uniforms are part of the adidas Reverse Retro Collection, which will also be available for fans to purchase beginning Sept. 6 through adidas.com, Fanatics.com, and the Indiana University Bookstore.
The differences between the retro uniforms and those currently worn by IU teams are stark. Among the most obvious changes are on the helmet, where the Block I returns, along with black and white center stripes and black facemask. The uniforms, meanwhile, will once again say "Hoosiers" across the chest, as opposed to "Indiana."
As the winningest coach in IU Football history, Mallory enjoyed tremendous success during the decade that these uniforms were worn in the 1980s and 1990s. From 1987-93, Mallory's teams went a combined 47-32-3, made five bowl appearances, and won the 1988 Liberty Bowl and the 1991 Copper Bowl. IU finished in the top four in the Big Ten on three different occasions, including a runner-up finish in 1987.
Those great teams, meanwhile, also included some of IU Football's all-time great players. Most notable of those is 1989 Heisman Trophy runner-up and two-time Big Ten MVP Anthony Thompson, who set NCAA records for career rushing yards, career touchdowns and single-game rushing yards during his Hoosier career. Other past IU greats to play during the era include running back Vaughn Dunbar (1st team All-American and sixth in 1991 Heisman voting), quarterback Trent Green (15-year NFL career and two-time Pro Bowl selection) and wide receiver Ernie Jones (1987 Big Ten MVP).
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