Houston blows off NFL cease-and-desist over retro jerseys
The University of Houston is pressing forward with plans to use powder blue uniform as an alternate option for the Cougar football team. This comes in response to a cease-and-desist order by the National Football League over a similar look to a throwback style for the Houston Oilers.
According to the Houston Chronicle, school officials sent a letter to the NFL last month indicating that, after considering their legal options, the university decided to reverse an earlier decision to shelve the jerseys.
"This isn’t a reach. This is a layup," UH athletic director Chris Pezman told the Chronicle at the Big 12’s spring meetings. "We’ve got 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 "blatant copying" of the former Oilers' uniforms. Despite the threat, university officials had not received a response from the NFL.
"We’re giving them two or three weeks to respond," Pezman said. "We’re waiting on a response to see if we get one."
Pezman also mentioned that the updated design has altered the striping 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 designs.
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The reaction to the blue uniforms has been, in Pezman's words, "overwhelming." The school has yet to announce when the team might wear the alternate blue jerseys this football season, their first as a member of the Big 12 conference. The UH 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 potentially include all sports.
The university’s decision to proceed with the powder blue uniforms underscores its determination to establish a distinctive identity, despite potential legal challenges.