The Michigan State University football team rounds out their 2024 non-conference schedule this Saturday, taking on ACC opponent Boston College. This is MSU’s first game traveling to Boston College since 1992, and it will provide a unique uniform matchup for MSU, as the Eagles are wearing white at home.
On social media Wednesday afternoon, MSU announced they would be wearing green jerseys, green pants, and green helmets with a white Spartan logo. This is the first time Michigan State has worn this combination this season.
The video revealed the uniforms being worn by a Spartan in a box truck with moving boxes and green lights. The last time MSU wore green head to toe was last year’s home game against Nebraska, a 20-17 Spartans win. However, that game featured a green facemask. MSU has not gone mono-green with a white facemask since 2019, a home loss to Penn State.
This marks the third unique combo for the Spartans this season, and the first time they have worn green pants. There has yet to be any differentiation with the helmet logo like in years past.
Michigan State is wearing a dark jersey in a true road game for the first time since 2014 (at Purdue). The reason for this is that Boston College is celebrating their “Red Bandana game,” a tradition started in 2014. In this game, Boston College wears white jerseys, with a bandana pattern in the numbers.
The Red Bandana game honors Boston College alum Welles Crowther, a former Eagles lacrosse player who graduated in 1999. According to Boston College’s athletics site announcing the annual game, “the red bandana was a defining feature used to identify Crowther.”
Crowther carried over a dozen people to safety on September 11, 2001 and was identified as the "Man in the Red Bandana.” Crowther did not survive the attacks as the building collapsed while he was assisting others to safety.
Michigan State’s uniform choice was met with praise on social media, which I agree with. I was not expecting the Shadows uniform, and I think the all-green will have a nice contrast with the white and maroon that BC will be wearing. The all-green also provides that big-game feel, as MSU looks to get to their first 4-0 start since 2021.
A positive change that I think could have been made is going with a green facemask, as they have done a few times in previous seasons. I think we will see an all-green with green facemask combo brought out later this season for a big home game.
Next week is another big game on the schedule for the Spartans, as they host top-5 Ohio State at home. The game has been confirmed for prime time, and MSU will be inducting former head coach Mark Dantonio into the Spartan Stadium ring of honor. I think such a big occasion is a perfect time to pull out the Shadows uniforms. Some may disagree, as MSU will likely be big underdogs and may not want to possibly start out 0-2 in the set, after the uniforms debuted in a loss to Michigan last year.
It is also possible the Spartans wear all green again to honor Dantonio. When you think back to the biggest Dantonio-era wins, from the numerous victories over Michigan to the 2013 Big Ten Championship over Ohio State and the ensuing Rose Bowl, Spartan fans had the classic Spartan look of all-green.
Whatever Coach Smith and the equipment staff choose, the fan base will be excited.
