Houston will be paying tribute to the city’s football history for their season opener against UTSA on Saturday.
The team released a video on Thursday, narrated Cougars legend Carl Lewis, announcing that it will be wearing powder blue uniforms reminiscent of those previously worn by the Oilers, who left the city in 1996 in favor of a move to Tennessee, where they became the Titans.
The uniforms feature the same blue, red and white color scheme worn by the former NFL team, including the red and blue stripes running down the side of the white pants.
“This is for the city that always has our back,” Lewis says in the video. “This one is for the people that call this place home. Love you, Houston. This one’s for you.”
Love you, Houston. This one is for you. #GoCoogs | #TEAM pic.twitter.com/X2Ul4SWwf5
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) August 31, 2023
Here’s a closer look at the uniforms, via Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic.
For its 2023 opener on Saturday, the Houston Cougars will be rocking Houston Oilers-style uniforms as an homage to the city. Here’s a look: pic.twitter.com/rdrWmxeQIA
— Sam Khan Jr. (@skhanjr) August 31, 2023
The Cougars’ announcement comes just a month after the Titans announced that they would be wearing Oilers throwbacks this season as a nod to the franchise’s origins in Houston. The Cougars’ version can’t hew too closely to the real Oilers’ look due to copyright issues, but unlike the Titans, their look is a tribute to the rich history of a football-mad city, not a reminder of a franchise leaving a fan base behind. No wonder the players were so excited when they first saw the new threads.
