NFL sends cease-and-desist letter to University of Houston over Oilers-inspired throwback uniforms

The NFL sent a cease-and-desist letter to the University of Houston due to uniforms UH’s football team wore earlier this season, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Cougars caught the ire of the NFL’s merchandising and licensing division for wearing light blue uniforms in the season opener vs. UTSA on Sept. 2. UH said the uniforms were a tribute to the city’s football history, but the NFL saw the jerseys as “blatant copying” of the old Houston Oilers uniforms.

As a result, the NFL wants Houston to “discontinue all sales of merchandise and remove any promotional campaign or social media posts that feature the popular light blue, or Columbia blue, with red stripes color scheme and design,” the Houston Chronicle reported.

In a letter sent to the university, the NFL said Houston wore the jerseys after it said it informed the school that no consent was given to UH to use the uniform or “any similar designs.”

The Oilers, of course, left Houston after the 1996 season and relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, and are now known as the Tennessee Titans. The Titans wore Oilers throwback uniforms in their game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Houston did not reference the Oilers when it revealed the uniforms — which are a slightly different shade of blue — in the lead-up to the season opener. Additionally, UH has not sold merchandise as part of the uniform drop.

Still, the NFL considered the uniforms to be an unauthorized use of the Oilers' branding.