Michigan football reveals uniform combination for ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama
After a long streak of wearing white jerseys in bowl games, Michigan football will sport blue tops for the fourth straight bowl when it takes on Alabama Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Wolverines and Crimson Tide will kick off at noon ET on ESPN in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Michigan announced on social media Monday afternoon that it will wear blue jerseys with maize pants and blue accessories.
The Wolverines also wore blue jerseys in the Orange Bowl in 2021, Fiesta Bowl in 2022 and Rose Bowl in 2023. Michigan sported the same color (with blue pants) in the Jan. 8 national championship game win over Washington. U-M won, 34-13, and was crowned national champs for the 12th time in history.
Michigan has worn its traditional blue jerseys with maize pants in five games this season — wins over Fresno State, Arkansas State, Minnesota, Michigan State and Northwestern. The Wolverines sported blue jerseys with blue pants in losses to Texas and Oregon and a win over USC.
While the teams and coaching staffs are vastly different, Tuesday’s matchup between Michigan and Alabama is a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, an epic game that ended in a 27-20 Wolverine overtime win.
Top 10
- 1
No. 1 Auburn upset
Florida dominates Tigers
- 2New
Dusty May
Gets ahead of Indiana rumors
- 3
Rick Pitino
New sheriff in Big Ten?
- 4
Ryan Day
Buyout revealed from new contract
- 5
UNC president
Belichick hire fall out
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Michigan trailed 20-13 with 4:41 remaining, before the Wolverines marched 75 yards in eight plays, highlighted by a touchdown pass from J.J. McCarthy to Roman Wilson. The defense stopped Alabama to force overtime, where running back Blake Corum ran for a score and the Wolverines’ defense made a goal-line stand on fourth down.
The win was years in the making. Not only had Michigan fallen to the SEC in recent seasons, but it had lost two-consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal games. The Wolverines got over the hump and won their first national championship since 1997.
U-M’s four previous games against the SEC were a 34-11 loss to Georgia in the 2021 Orange Bowl, a 35-16 Citrus Bowl loss to Alabama Jan. 1, 2019, a 41-15 setback to Florida in the 2018 Peach Bowl and a 26-19 defeat at the hands of South Carolina in the Jan. 1, 2018, Outback Bowl. Their last victory against the SEC before last season was a 33-17 win over Florida to open the 2017 campaign.
Michigan did take on the SEC earlier this season, playing new member Texas at The Big House Sept. 7. The Longhorns won the second-ever matchup between the two blue bloods, 31-12, and went on to earn a College Football Playoff bid.
