MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema admits he is the "anti-uniform" person when it comes to changing tradition on Saturdays.
Apparently, adidas provided a look that was too good even for the tradition-heavy Bielema to pass up.
On Monday, the University of Wisconsin and adidas announced that the Badgers will wear specially designed uniforms for their road game against Nebraska on Sept. 29. The contest is adidas' first Unrivaled Game, an annual matchup of top adidas programs. This year's game is themed "The Quick and the Red" and is set for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC.
The Badgers will wear a white uniform that features red shoulders, a bold red "W" on the chest and red player numbers above the heart. Stripes run down the sides of the uniform pants, and the back of the player jerseys will read "Badgers" instead of including the last names of players.
Wisconsin's red helmet will feature a black facemask and white "W" and the team will wear black shoes with red and white components that are reflective.
Bielema told the team in a YouTube video released by the university.
"It's very unusual for Wisconsin to do anything out of the normal, traditional uniforms," Badgers senior cornerback Devin Smith said in the video. "I'm excited that my senior year we're getting to do something different."
According to a university press release, "the use of the 'block W' harkens back to the days of Wisconsin's 1962 Big Ten championship team, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this fall.'" Second-ranked Wisconsin went on to play No. 1 USC in the 1963 Rose Bowl in a contest that featured the first No. 1-No. 2 matchup during a bowl game.
"There's not a lot of flavor to it," Bielema said Monday after Wisconsin's first fall practice. "A lot of debate went over the helmet. Really the only guy I was worried about whether he liked it or not was the AD (Barry Alvarez). And he didn't kibosh it. After that we kept some of the pinstripes running through and tried to keep it simple. Our kids loved it. ... For us recruiting-wise and with our players, it's a big hit."
Nebraska will wear its alternate uniforms as well, which feature a block "N" in black set against red jerseys and pants. The Cornhuskers also will wear black helmets for the first time in school history.
Reserves off roster: Wide receivers Isaiah Williams and Fred Willis and linebacker Cody Byers are not on the team, according to Bielema.
Bielema said that Williams and Byers were in Madison and could re-join the team in the next couple of days. He declined to comment when asked whether the players' departures were linked to a July 27 fight that included several Wisconsin football players. Less than a week later, five men attacked Badgers running back Montee Ball near campus in the early morning while he walked home. He suffered a concussion and is out for the start of fall practice.
Police are investigating whether the attack on Ball occurred as a result of the initial fight.
"I really can't comment on anything," Bielema said. "There's rules that prohibit comment on injury and also a criminal investigation. I guess people are going to have to assume what they want. For me as a head coach, when you're dealing with a situation like that, I have to make decisions on what I know, what I believe is real."
Willis, a Milwaukee, Wis., native, played in five games last season as a true freshman. Bielema said he decided to quit just before this season began.
"There were times where I was like, 'I don't know how much he wants to be here during spring ball,'" Bielema said. "And during a conversation with him, you could tell it was just something that's gone. I'm not going to try to push someone to do something they don't want to do. He's extremely bright, intelligent, motivated. ... He's got everything taken care of, where he's going to go for a scholarship and everything to stay in school here, which I greatly admire."
Quarterbacks battle: Lost amid the talk about Montee Ball's concussion was the first practice for transfer quarterback Danny O'Brien.
Although many assume O'Brien will start Wisconsin's season opener, Bielema has insisted an open competition will take place during fall camp. O'Brien will have to beat out redshirt freshman Joel Stave, who showed promise during spring practice and exited spring No. 1 on the depth chart. The return of redshirt senior Curt Phillips from three ACL surgeries in his right knee should provide even more competition for O'Brien, who has two years of playing eligibility remaining after transferring from Maryland.
"Day 1, I think he's got a lot of respect," Bielema said. "You can see he has a lot of ability."
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