Much to the chagrin of fans in Houston, the Tennessee Titans will wear their Oilers throwback uniforms during Sunday’s game against the Texans, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Founded as the Oilers in 1960, the franchise spent 37 years in Houston before moving to Tennessee in 1997. The nickname remained for two more seasons before they became the Titans in 1999.
Tennessee originally wore Oilers throwback uniforms in 2009 as part of the AFL’s 50th anniversary, though the look was based on their original design that included a Columbia blue helmet.
This year’s design, however, honors the “Luv Ya Blue” era of the late 1970s with white helmets, Columbia blue jerseys with red trim and white pants with stripes that match the helmet.
The uniforms made their debut in a 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 29 and nearly returned for last week’s 38-27 win at the Miami Dolphins, though the NFL ultimately denied that request.
Meanwhile, wearing them against the Texans only rubs salt into the wound of those in Houston who claim ownership despite the Texans being an expansion franchise with no connection to the Oilers other than playing in the same city.
The Oilers’ history – including their logos, uniforms and light blue and red color scheme – remained with the Titans when they moved. They even sent a cease-and-desist letter to the NCAA’s Houston Cougars after they wore Oilers-inspired uniforms this season.