The University of Houston and the National Football League are in a fight over a color. And Houston thinks it's going to win.
The NFL's merchandising and licensing division sent a cease-and-desist letter to Houston after the Cougars donned alternate uniforms that echoed the Oilers' classic look for their season-opener against UTSA back in September.
The football team's uniforms were part of a department-wide plan to make "Luv Ya Blue" a part of the brand. The Cougars' women's soccer and golf teams also wore the color.
The Tennessee Titans have maintained ownership of the Houston Oilers' logo, colors and brand despite the move and re-brand. The Titans brought back the look on a throwback basis last season, after the NFL revoked its rule limiting teams to one helmet shell. The NFL said in October “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 (Tennessee) Titans.”
However, UH AD Chris Pezman told the Houston Chronicle that the Cougars feel they're on solid legal ground to continue wearing the color.
“We’re doing it,” Pezman told the paper. “We’ve reviewed everything and come to the conclusion that we are going to proceed.”
Part of Houston's argument, Pezman said, is that Columbia blue is part of the City of Houston's heritage. The city's flag, adopted in 1915, uses a light blue color.
The Houston Texans added Columbia blue -- dubbed "H-Town Blue" -- to its alternate uniforms, unveiled last week. The team had to negotiate with the NFL to work a certain percentage of Columbia blue into the uniform, lest they step on the Titans' legal property.
Ice so blue 🥶 pic.twitter.com/3nC5xglb6x
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 23, 2024
Pezman said the response to the "Houston" uniforms exceeded the school's expectations, and thus UH plans to make it part of the Cougars' brand moving forward, similar to how SMU has incorporated the city of Dallas into its uniforms.
That is, so long as UH defeats the NFL in its tug-of-war over the Columbia blue fabric.
“This isn’t a reach. This is a layup," Pezman said. "We’ve got a very defensible position.”