CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Green Bay Packers unveiled a new uniform on Thursday, and Fighting Illini fans stormed social media citing similarities to an older Illinois uniform.
Green Bay’s 1923 throwback helmets will have a spraypainted leather look, reminding many Illini fans of the 1924 throwback helmets the Illini wore for memorial stadium’s 100th anniversary game.
But the comparisons don’t stop there. Some Fighting Illini fans stormed social media saying the Packers copied Illinois’ style, while others think it’s a great way to honor the history of the game.
“I hope that there’s some effort made — as I know the university did — by the Packers to educate their fans on the history of the sport and its place in our country’s history,” Jordan Kuneyl, a university PhD student, said.