Only a handful of college football teams wear pride stickers on their helmets, but Michigan and rival Ohio State are two of the most recognizable programs that do so.
While there’s probably more stickers on the field of “The Game” than anywhere else at once, the programs’ philosophies are drastically different. However, both traditions date back decades; it’s argued who really started it.

Bo Schembechler’s team at Miami (Ohio) began decorating its helmets in 1965, but he introduced it to the Wolverines four years later. The decals only lasted until 1995, when Lloyd Carr got rid of them.

When Jim Harbaugh was hired as Michigan’s head coach in 2015, he reinstated the tradition. His own helmet was covered in stickers when he was a quarterback for the Wolverines in the 1980s. But since the stickers were added back to players’ helmets, their meanings have changed.

What is the meaning behind Michigan’s helmet stickers?

The stickers on Wolverine helmets mean a variety of things, from team successes to personal awards to academic accomplishments.

When Harbaugh brought back the football-shaped decal decoration, they represented little more than on-field achievements, but he changed the overall philosophy in 2021.

“The way the sticker was, didn’t really tell you anything. It was just a sticker on there,” Harbaugh said. “But then guys could know the rest of their lives what that sticker was for and what it meant.”

Players under the new guidelines were given three personal stickers upon their arrival with the program: one for equality, Title IX and a personalized one with the players’ hometown area code. Those pieces are placed on the bottom right side of the helmet.

Since the program was inching closer to its 1,000th all-time win, decals with a wolverine and the win number were added after Michigan’s wins.

Captains received a “C,” and after the season, Big Ten and All-American honorees received personalized labels. Rivalry wins and postseason appearances have their own unique design, and TED stickers, meaning “There Every Day,” are awarded to players who exemplify that meaning.

Ronnie Bell said that was his most cherished sticker, given to him after his recovery from a season-ending injury.

Don’t worry, the decorations avoid the iconic maize wings.

Before the 2023 season, Harbaugh created a new sticker with the initials EUTM, meaning “enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

To honor the program’s accomplishments over the past few seasons and excitement for the upcoming one, the coach created the design with the phrase he’s been saying since touching down in Ann Arbor all those years ago. Kris Jenkins was awarded the first EUTM decal for his energy and dedication, and players like JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum have also earned one since.

“It’s a great way to reward the guys,” said Dave Ablauf, Michigan’s associate athletic director. “We’ve always given ours players their helmet at the end of the their career, and this provides them with a keepsake that tells the complete story of their career rather than just that final season.”