Houston Defying NFL Censorship of Retro Jerseys

The University of Houston is moving forward with plans to use a powder blue uniform as an alternative option for the Cougars football team. The move follows a cease-and-desist order from the National Football League regarding a throwback-style look for the Houston Oilers.

According to the Houston Chronicle, school officials sent a letter to the NFL last month saying that after considering their legal options, the university had decided to reverse an earlier decision to shelve the jerseys.

“It’s not a shot attempt. It’s a layup,” UH athletic director Chris Pezman told the Chronicle at the Big 12 spring meetings. “We have a very defensible position.”

The controversy began when the Cougars wore the blue uniforms in their 2023 season opener, prompting a threat of legal action from the NFL’s merchandising and licensing division, which accused them of “blatantly copying” the Oilers’ old uniforms. Despite the threat, university officials have not received a response from the NFL.

“We’re giving them two or three weeks to respond,” Pezman said. “We’re waiting for a response to see if we get one.”

Pezman also mentioned that the new design changed the stripes on the uniforms and uses a slightly different shade of blue than the Columbia blue popularized by the Oilers in the late 1970s. He noted that other schools, such as Mississippi and Louisiana Tech, also feature similar light blue uniform colors and patterns.

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The reaction to the blue uniforms has been, in Pezman’s words, “overwhelming.” The university has not yet announced when the team might wear the blue alternate jerseys this football season, their first as a member of the Big 12 Conference. UH’s women’s soccer and golf teams also wore their versions of the blue uniforms last year, and the university is considering expanding the rollout to all sports.

The university’s decision to continue wearing powder blue uniforms underscores its determination to establish a distinctive identity, despite potential legal challenges.