Michigan Panthers' USFL reboot takes another step with release of familiar uniforms

Did Matthew Stafford’s Super Bowl victory last week lead you to think about what would happen if the Lions were a championship franchise? And did that make you think about Michigan’s last title-winning professional football franchise? (Hint, not the Detroit Lions…)

That would be the Michigan Panthers, who played in the Silverdome in Pontiac and won the inaugural USFL title in 1983. The Panthers are back, too, and set to make their return as the USFL, which lasted three seasons (1983-85) relaunches in April.

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And while they won’t be playing in Michigan for at least their first season — the entire USFL schedule is set to be played this year in Birmingham, Alabama — the whole nostalgic enterprise took another step forward as the team released a look at its new uniform set Thursday.

The home kit features the familiar gold helmet and maroon jersey with white numbers, though the sleeves have a slightly thicker powder blue stripe, it appears. The pants appear more khaki than gold, though both appear darker than the 1983 editions.

The away kit, meanwhile, features a white jersey (with blue and maroon stripes on the shoulders and the number in maroon), possibly peach-colored pants and the same gold helmet.

Bringing the Panthers' distinctive, oversized logo to life on the helmets, made by Riddell, presented its own challenge, according to a release from the league: "The intricate designs of the Michigan Panthers and New Orleans Breakers logos will require their helmets to be hand-painted, a task assigned to Riddell partner Gemini Technology Systems of East Troy, Wisconsin."

Overall, it’s a look that matches up with the Panthers’ uniforms of old, in which wide receiver Anthony Carter and quarterback Bobby Hebert went 12-6 and then won the USFL title on July 17, 1983.

The modern incarnation takes the field sometime in mid-April. The league’s first game will be between the New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions on April 16, with NBC and Fox both broadcasting the game. The Panthers, with coach Jeff Fisher, will be in the North Division, along with the Generals, the Philadelphia Stars (who the Panthers beat for their USFL title) and the Pittsburgh Maulers. The South Division, meanwhile, features the Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers and Tampa Bay Bandits. The schedule, which should be announced later this month, features 10 games per team.

Detroit fans hoping to cheer on a winner in person might not have to wait long, however; the league announced Thursday that its 2022 postseason games — a semifinal for each division, followed by a championship game, in late June and early July — will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Of course, we might be getting ahead of ourselves; the Panthers don’t even have a roster yet; the league is set to hold its draft next week, beginning at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22. (But if you’re already looking to show your support, the team store is open online. Priorities, we suppose.)

They'll share at least one thing with that other pro team in the state, though: a high draft pick. The Panthers won the USFL's inaugural draft lottery, giving them the first pick on Tuesday night. Who will be the first ever (new) Michigan Panther? Tune in (to the USFL's social media accounts) to find out.

Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Panthers' USFL reboot takes another step with uniform release