Charlie Bachman Era Michigan State Football Jerseys

In 1933, when Charlie Bachman became the head coach of Michigan State he outfitted his teams in gold and black. He was the only head coach in Michigan State football history to ignore the school colors when changing the styles of the uniforms.

Being a former Notre Dame football player alongside Knute Rockne, Charlie Bachman brought the color gold to Michigan State, known back then as Michigan State College (MSC). Because of his color choice, Charlie Bachman’s teams were nicknamed "The Black Knights of the Red Cedar."

The jerseys were black with gold numbers and the pants were gold. The helmets were gold with a black wing design, with the block “S” logo emblazoned in the center.

Charlie Bachman’s final record at Michigan State was 70 - 34 - 10 with an appearance in the 1938 Orange Bowl. His teams defeated University of Michigan four consecutive seasons (1934 - 1937) after an 18-year losing streak (1916 - 1933). Charlie Bachman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

1933 - 1946 Michigan State Football Jerseys

My research indicates there was no change in Michigan State football jersey, helmet and pant styles between 1933 and 1946.

Helmet

Michigan State player making a tackle on a Michigan running back in 1939, both teams wearing the winged helmets

Jack Breslin wearing the winged helmet

• Gold leather helmet
• Single black center stripe
• No face mask
• Black "Spalding Wing" in front (Michigan didn't adopt its famed winged look until 1938) - Michigan State wore several models of the "Spalding Winged Helmet" until 1948 when they joined the Big Ten and adopted a different style helmet.
• Embossed block "S" logo on the front

Jersey

• Black jersey
• Gold lettering used for the numbers
• Long sleeves

Pants

• Gold pants
• Same pants used for home and away games

Home and Away Uniform

• My research indicates Charlie Bachman's teams wore the same uniforms for both the home and away contests: black jersey, gold pants, black socks