Houston Cougars Not Afraid Of NFL Legal Action, Will Continue To Use Oilers Tribute Uniforms
In the 2023 season opener, the Houston Cougars debuted baby blue alternate jerseys reminiscent of those worn by the old Houston Oilers. The kit featured a baby blue jersey with red accents, white pants with blue and white stripes down the side, and "Houston" on the helmet in baby blue, outlined in red.
The NFL was not a fan.
The Houston Cougars wore their Oilers tribute uniforms during their 2023 season opener against UTSA.
(Troy Taormina / USA TODAY Sports)
The league sent a cease-and-desist letter to the university in October, according to the Houston Chronicle, arguing the uniforms were "blatant copying" of the Oilers jerseys. The NFL also demanded the university discontinue sales of merchandise related to the uniforms and remove any campaigns or social media posts that feature the uniforms.
"The Houston Cougars’ attempt to free ride on the popularity of the NFL and the club violates the intellectual property rights of the NFL and the (Tennessee) Titans," attorney Bonnie L. Jarrett wrote in the letter.
The (team formerly known as the) Houston Oilers popularized the "Luv Ya Blue" unis in the 1970s, and the Tennessee Titans have since revived them as the club’s alternate throwbacks.
Houston Cougars Aren't Backing Down
While initially shelving the baby blue uniforms after the NFL's legal threats, the university has recently decided to move forward with them anyway.
"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."
Pezman said the school updated the design with modified striping and a slightly different shade of blue than the Columbia blue used by the Oilers/Titans. He also pointed out that other schools, notably Mississippi and Louisiana Tech, also feature a similar light blue uniform color and design.
"We’re giving [the NFL] two or three weeks to respond," Pezman said. "We’re waiting on a response to see if we get one."
Houston's women's soccer and golf teams wore their own versions of the blue uniforms last year, and the university is considering expanding the roll-out to potentially include all sports.
Assuming, of course, that the NFL doesn't sue the pants off of them.