The National Football League has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the University of Houston to put a halt to the school’s use of Houston Oilers-inspired jerseys, the rights of which belong to the Tennessee Titans.
According to Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle, the letter was sent to the university this month, with the goal of putting a halt to the Cougars’ use of the throwback threads.
In the letter, NFL attorney Bonnie L. Jarrett says the uniforms are “blatant copying” and “violates the intellectual property rights of the NFL.”
“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 the Titans,” Jarrett wrote on Oct. 13, while also stating that the jerseys are “among the most famous and valuable NFL marks.”
Tennessee’s use of the Oilers throwbacks has been a hot topic of conversation nationally, with many believing the Houston Texans should be able to wear them and not the Titans, even though the Adams family owns the rights to them.
Adding to that, the Titans literally were the Tennessee Oilers for two seasons after moving to Tennessee, and even Oilers greats have said the Titans should own the team’s history.
“I’d have to say here, I’d have to say Nashville, Tennessee,” Oilers great and Hall of Famer Warren Moon said back in 2021. “That’s where our legacy went.”
“Bud (Adams) and his wife, they raised good children,” Hall of Famer and Oilers great Robert Brazile said. “Amy is a mother. When a mother reaches out to take care of her children, I feel like I’m a part of her family.
“She reached out for us and reached out to us to warm us to another new home. So, we may be Oilers, but I think we’re going to all die Titans.”
Tennessee recently wore Oilers throwbacks for their Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons and are set to do so again in Week 15 against the Houston Texans, which will certainly reignite the debate after it quiets down.
