Ducks Digest

Minnesota Golden Gophers Unveil Unique Helments for Oregon Ducks Game

In a Friday night lights game for the Oregon Ducks, the Minnesota Golden Gophers make the trip to Autzen Stadium. As the Ducks wear a unique white-based uniform, so do the Gophers, rocking a similarly unique helmet.
Ally Osborne|
Minnesota Golden Gophers Football show off white uniform for road game against Oregon Ducks.
Minnesota Golden Gophers Football show off white uniform for road game against Oregon Ducks. | @GopherFootball

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Oregon DucksMinnesota Golden Gophers

On the eve of the only Friday night regular season game for the No. 9 Oregon Ducks, the Minnesota Golden Gophers unveiled the Nike uniforms they'll wear in Autzen Stadium.

Similarly to Oregon's white and green combination, the Gophers also elected for a white get-up with a striped helmet, but some of the colors are switched. Minnesota will wear a white uniform with maroon and gold detailing including shoulder stripes, maroon pants with gold details, and white undergarments.

Minnesota's helmet, just like Oregon's, is also a white base with a stripe up the middle, except it's gold and maroon. The Gopher's helmet is asymmetrical, with the iconic "M" Minnesota logo on one side and a maroon outline of the teams' mascot "Goldy the Gopher" on the other side.

Minnesota's week 11 uniform combination for facing the Oregon Ducks.
Minnesota's week 11 uniform combination for facing the Oregon Ducks. | @GopherFootball

A Historical Reference

Fun fact: the Gophers also wore white jerseys when they last faced Oregon in El Paso, Texas for the 2003 Sun Bowl. Though the maroon pants and white helmets are not carry-overs from the 31-30 Gopher victory, the white jerseys may be a nod to that bowl game win.

During that game, Oregon found a lead in a close game with a little over four minutes left thanks to a 47 yard field goal from kicker Jared Siegel. That didn't stop the Gophers' win, as Minnesota kicker Rhys Lloyd (nicknamed "Winston Churchill" due to being from England), sunk a 42 yard field goal with just seconds left on the clock.

Here's another interesting factoid: the Gophers have never played at Autzen Stadium until this weekend. Oregon has only traveled to the Gophers or met them at neutral sites for the Sun Bowl.

The Story of Goldy the Gopher

In the modern football era, the Goldy Gopher graphic on Minnesota helmets can be traced back to 2017, when coach PJ Fleck unveiled a gold base helmet with a dark maroon Goldy Gopher face on one side and the Minnesota "M" on the other side. This design was used to celebrate the mascots' birthday in a game prior against Middle Tennessee. The helmet also included a stripe up the middle looking like a gopher tail.

Sep 19, 2009; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Gophers mascot Goldie Gopher leads the crowd in a cheer after Minnesota scored
Sep 19, 2009; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Gophers mascot Goldie Gopher leads the crowd in a cheer after Minnesota scored against the California Bears in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Bears won 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Goldy the Gopher, introduced to the University of Minnesota in 1952, is inspired by Minnesota's nickname from the 1800's of "The Gopher State." That moniker came from a loan of $5 million from the US government to railroad companies and barons in an attempt to open up travel to the West, with the barons behind said companies portrayed as gophers tearing up Minnesota's land in a historical political cartoon.

The current graphic design of Goldy was created in 1985 by Steve Wanvig, but was toned down by Wanvig in 1986 due to students complaining about the amount of toughness Goldy was drawn with. That's how the current friendly gopher graphic lives till this day.

MORE: Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore Breaks Down Adjusting Game Plan Amid Injuries

MORE: What Oregon's New Helmet And Uniforms Say About the Program’s Identity

MORE: How to Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Minnesota In Prime Time On Friday Night

The Ducks Pull Up In Marble

According to graphic designer and uniform enthusiast Jonah Henderson, this is the seventh time in program history Oregon wore a white, green, and white look. Henderson also explains this is the first time in the modern era of Oregon uniforms that Oregon has a green stripe on a white uniform.

Oregon's helmets for this game are following a unique trend this season: white marble. The Ducks debuted their first ever marble helmet for the "Shoe Duck" uniform honoring Nike cofounders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. That marble base was adorned with two asymmetrical old gold brushed wings honoring the Greek goddess of victory Nike and the Oregon traditional helmet wing.

Against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Ducks dropped another white marble base helmet with an all-white "Warp Speed" uniform, featuring black Duck wings and a Black "O" on the back.

The first team to ever debut a marble patterned helmet was a blue version for Navy in 2020.

Oregon fans dance to a Grateful Dead song as heavy rain comes down during the third quarter against Wisconsin at Autzen Stadi
Oregon fans dance to a Grateful Dead song as heavy rain comes down during the third quarter against Wisconsin at Autzen Stadium Oct. 25, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's 2025 Color Schedule:

Nov. 14 vs. Minnesota - Wear Green

Nov. 22 vs. USC - Wear Black 

Nov. 29 at Washington - Wear Green

Published
Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

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