Wisconsin to debut new ‘By the Players’ uniforms for Big Ten opener

Wisconsin seniors helped design special jerseys to be worn vs. Michigan

The Wisconsin men will wear special uniforms for the Big Ten opener vs. Michigan Tuesday night. / Wisconsin Athletics

Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit worked hand-in-hand with Under Armour to create special alternate jerseys that the Wisconsin men’s basketball team will wear Tuesday night.

The Badgers open Big Ten Conference play against Michigan. When they step on the court, they will do so in “By the Players” uniforms, which marks the fifth edition of such alternate jerseys created by Under Armour.

The uniforms are white and feature the Badger logo along with a cityscape of Madison above the nameplate on the back. The numbers are a thick block colored in red with red and black trim around the arms and more distinct features. 

On the shorts there is an outline of the state of Wisconsin along with the Bucky the Badger logo. 

Wisconsin Athletics

Wisconsin Athletics

Wisconsin-Michigan open Big Ten season

The Badgers made a nice move up the rankings in the latest release, as they are now 11th in both the AP Poll Top 25 and Coaches Poll Top 25.

Wisconsin and Michigan have a long, storied history with one another, meeting 174 times. The Wolverines lead the series, 95-79, but the Badgers have gone 16-4 inside the Kohl Center vs. Michigan since 1998. That is the site of Tuesday’s game between the two.

Overall, Wisconsin is 49-36 vs. the Wolverines in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Michigan has won each of the last two games between the two, posting a 72-68 victory in Ann Arbor, Michigan and winning in overtime the year before. 

December is critical for Wisconsin’s conference run

The Badgers will play two Big Ten foes before turning the calendar to 2025.

Along with taking on Michigan this week, they travel to ranked Illinois on December 10. The full slate of league action tips on January 3 against Iowa. 

Currently, the league features Purdue, Wisconsin, Oregon and Illinois in the AP Top 25 with Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Maryland and UCLA all receiving votes.