For the past four years, Gophers football excited their fan base with new uniforms annually. However, this year’s uniforms have created a divide between fans online.

The Gophers first hinted at their new black and white uniforms in a tweet on Aug. 22. The video shows players cheering and giving standing ovations after Head Coach P.J. Fleck’s theatrical reveal.

They continued to promote the uniforms up until the game when they displayed a black-and-white-themed pregame hype video on the big screen.

While the team maintained their initial positive reaction, the same cannot be said about the fans.

Negative tweets went up in unison with the Gophers exiting the tunnel. Complaints ranged from the absence of gold to the design of the helmet.

“Uniforms on sale? Supply chain issues? The Gophers have uniforms that are the wrong color,” one Twitter user said.

Uniforms on sale? Supply chain issues? The Gophers have uniforms that are the wrong color.

— Don Hoversten (@donhoversten) September 10, 2022

For a team nicknamed “Golden Gophers,” it seemed wrong seeing the other team wear more yellow during Saturday’s game. The last time the Gophers went gold-less was in 2021 for their season opener against Ohio State.

Traditional school colors were more prominent in those uniforms as the maroon was the foundational color on their helmet rather than a single stripe down the middle.

“Who hates (uniforms that look like) Iowa??,” another Twitter user wrote.

Who hates (uniforms that look like) Iowa??
#gophers

— Ryan Malmin (@RyanMalmin) September 10, 2022

When fans saw a resemblance to the black and white jerseys worn by Minnesota’s rival to the south, jokes began to fly.

With the growing number of new uniforms being released, the odds of imitating another team are high. But sometimes it’s the act of constantly debuting uniforms that can spark comparisons.

“Golden Gophers are Oregon Jr. with all these uniforms,” @TBoyer55 said on Twitter, comparing Minensota to Oregon, a football program that has an intensive track record of having a closet full of uniform options.

Golden Gophers are Oregon Jr. with all these uniforms

— Tony (@TBoyer55) September 10, 2022

Although the fans’ distaste for Minnesota’s uniforms was a popular topic on game day, saying that all fans do not like the uniforms would be objectively false. Some fans are true traditionalists, while others welcomed the change.

“These black uniforms for the #gophers is very business like. Go take care of business,” one fan said.

These black uniforms for the #gophers is very business like.

Go take care of business.

— Horns ‘N’ Hoops (@Mavcop) September 10, 2022

The black and white scheme follows the current trend to simplify or modernize particular aesthetics. But what is modern today may not be modern tomorrow.

In the mid-1990s, the Gophers wore what is considered one of the worst uniforms in college football. The jerseys had two classic Minnesota M’s on both shoulders with a maroon line across the chest conjoining them. They encapsulated the eccentric ‘90s style but have failed to age appropriately.

Other jerseys, like the classic jerseys worn during the John Gutekunst-era, are simple enough to be considered timeless by all generations.

As it stands, most fans aren’t the biggest supporters of ditching the gold for a clean black-and-white look. Not many uniforms that follow stylistic trends can stand the test of time, but the black and white combination has been prevalent for years, whether it aligns with a current trend or not.