Houston Cougars ignoring NFL's cease-and-desist letter regarding uniforms

The NFL last season ordered the University of Houston to stop wearing light blue uniforms, but the Cougars are no longer going to oblige.

In October, the NFL sent the University of Houston a cease-and-desist letter ordering the school to stop any further use of the Houston Oilers’ trademarked “Luv Ya Blue” uniforms. While the Cougars had made no mention of the Oilers in marketing their light blue uniforms, the NFL views the uniforms as “blatant copying” of the old Oilers uniforms.

Houston did not wear its so-called Columbia Blue color scheme after receiving the letter last year, but it has now decided to tell the NFL where to stick it. Houston athletic director Chris Pezman told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle that the uniforms will be back in 2024.

“We’re doing it,” Pezman said. “We’ve reviewed everything and come to the conclusion that we are going to proceed.”

Pezman said Houston has sent the NFL a letter informing the league of the Cougars’ stance. The school had not heard back as of Tuesday.

“We literally have a story we can show the city uses it,” Pezman said of the light blue color scheme. “This isn’t a reach. This is a layup. We’ve got a very defensible position.”

The Houston jerseys feature a slightly different shade of blue than the Oilers’ throwbacks and have been marketed as a tribute to the city of Houston’s football history. The Cougar uniforms are very popular among fans.

It remains to be seen if the NFL will try to use its power and financial resources to make life difficult for the University of Houston, but that would probably be a bad look for the league.