Different from “Luv Ya Blue”

An alternate blue uniform proposed by the University of Houston athletic programs is “radically different” from those formerly worn by the Houston Oilers and “will in no way” cause any confusion, according to emails obtained through an open file. . request.

In an April 16 email to NFL lawyers, Dona Cornell, UH’s vice chancellor for legal affairs, wrote that the school is “considering commercial use and commercialization” of the uniforms.

As the Houston Chronicle previously reported, the NFL’s merchandising and licensing division sent a cease-and-desist letter last October and threatened legal action if UH did not stop using the which was described as a “blatant copy” by the Oilers school. themed uniforms.

In the email, Cornell assured the NFL that UH’s football version is “radically different from the old Houston Oilers football uniform” and includes several distinctions from those popularized by the Oilers “Luv Ya Blue” from the late 1970s.

“Based on the foregoing, the University’s use of the UH football uniform will in no way cause confusion to anyone, including but not limited to the fans, students and consumers, as well as the general public,” Cornell wrote in the release. e-mail to Bonnie L. Jarrett, lead attorney for the NFL.

In its initial complaint, the NFL said the unauthorized use of UH was an “attempt to profit from the popularity of the NFL and the Tennessee Titans.” Any continued use, the NFL said, was “likely to mislead consumers into believing that the Houston Cougars are associated with or are an authorized licensee of the NFL and the Titans.”

Pezman said the school weighed legal options before deciding to add the alternative uniform. No timetable was given for the rollout, including when goods would be available for purchase, but it is unlikely to be before 2025.

“We literally have a story that we can show that the city uses,” Pezman told the Houston Chronicle during the Big 12 spring meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz., in early May. “It’s not a reach. It’s a layup. We have a very defensible position.

UH’s version used during football season included a slightly different shade of blue than the Columbia blue made popular by the Oilers. The uniform had similar stripes on the helmet and pants, as well as a similar number font with a red outline. The uniforms featured “Houston” on the front and both sides of the helmet instead of the Oilers’ iconic oil derrick logo.

UH has been working with an outside firm for several months on a design that features the color light blue — or “Houston blue,” Pezman said.

After a follow-up email from Cornell on April 26, the NFL acknowledged receiving notification from UH.

“We have received your note and will respond to you soon,” Jarrett wrote in an email the same day.