When will KU go retro?

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing runs to the sideline in this Oct. 11, 2008, file photo against Colorado at Memorial Stadium. Reesing, who will return as a senior this fall, is expected to lead a potent KU offense.

Pro baseball teams do it. So do pro football teams. Why not college football teams, too?

Nebraska’s football players will don retro uniforms for their Sept. 26 game against Louisiana-Lafayette as NU celebrates its NCAA-record 300th consecutive sellout.

On that night, the Cornhuskers will wear replica uniforms from 1962, the year the streak began. The ‘62 jerseys have distinctive curly-q numerals and the white helmets have matching jersey numerals in stark black instead of the iconic red ‘N’ the Huskers have used for decades.

The replicas won’t, however, be exact copies because there will be an adidas logo on the jerseys. Adidas is supplying the total package — helmets, jerseys and pants.

Hmmm … adidas. That’s the same company that outfits Kansas University athletes. And that made me wonder how the Jayhawks would look if they staged a Retro Game and were decked out in 1962 togs.

I dug up a picture of Gale Sayers in a 1962 KU uniform and, like the Huskers, the Jayhawks’ helmets featured the player’s number instead of a logo. I’ve seen similar Missouri helmets of that vintage so the early ‘60s were clearly pre-logo days.

Over the years, Kansas football jerseys have just about covered the entire spectrum of blues, from the “mineshaft” blues of the mid-1980s to the powder blues of the early ‘60s and late 1970s so matching the shade of blue to the year shouldn’t be a problem.

Nevertheless, it might make more sense for Kansas to do its retro shtick based on a helmet that features the familiar Jayhawk logo.

Countless KU fans have stumped for the return of the mythical bird to the headgear as a replacement for that insipid Trajan font “KU.” So much so, in fact, that they might even want to buy one.

The retail factor is also a facet of Nebraska’s marketing plan. Every one of those old NU uniforms — adidas is making No. 1 through No. 99 — will be sold. The price? Limitless.

Those uniforms will be put up for auction with a minimum bid of — are you ready? — $500. Assuming each uniform goes for just that minimum, that’s a windfall of nearly $50,000 for NU’s athletic department.

Wait, there’s more. A commemorative ticket stub from the game that started the streak will be sold for $5 each. And Nebraska officials no doubt will sell more game programs because of the historical impact.

Imitation in the pursuit of revenue is not considered a vice in college athletics so it seems likely KU will sooner or later go the retro route, too. The only questions are when and why.

Obviously, it’s too late to stage a retro promotion this fall, so the first available season would be 2010. But what to celebrate? How about the 35th anniversary of the 1975 Kansas team that handed national champion Oklahoma its lone defeat.

That ‘75 squad, led by Wishbone quarterback Nolan Cromwell and halfback Laverne Smith, also wore what I consider a classic design of solid blue uniforms and helmets with a Jayhawk logo on each side of the headgear.

Could KU auction off 99 of those ‘75 uniforms at a minimum of $500 apiece? Hard to say, but I’ll bet Cromwell’s No. 9 and Smith’s No. 30 would fetch a pretty penny.

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Brock (anonymous) says...

Try the 1968 Hawks' look: that was a great ballclub!

July 5, 2009 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

I think it's time for a new version (less cartoonish) of the Jayhawk.

July 5, 2009 at 7:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

Why is the trajan font so stupid again? If you want a stupid font, go get a nice big papyrus KU up there on the shell. No sir. Trajan was on the helmet for the greatest football season in KU history, and on the jersey for a national championship in basketball. In 35 years I'm guessing they'll be retroing in honor of that!

The Jayhawk logo on the crown? Don't do it. I don't know who these "countless" people are Woodling, that want the hawk on the helmet. But I just can't see it. Less is more. My favorite uniform ever is Penn St. And I can find more people that agree with that, than you can find people who want a Jayhawk on the noggin. So I'd have to agree with Brock. The 1968 Hawks donned an appealing blue-collar look. And had a nice season to commemorate.

While were at it. Let's go the extra mile and screw on some two bar face masks to complete the look. With Opurum sporting a Riggo mask and rumbling through the line, I would swear I'd gone back in time.

Also please don't do powder blues just because Chris Berman has been force feeding us this San Diego Chargers BS for almost a decade. Powder blue is done. And moreover, powder blue is Carolina blue. KU is crimson and blue. It's easy and it's ours.

July 5, 2009 at 10:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

gardenjay (anonymous) says...

Nice article about clothing, I always enjoy these articles on the fringe of the sport. Clothing is necessary. But what would be more interesting to me in this vein is an article about the evolution of football helmet design to reduce injury, or something more functional. And as I mentioned in a previous post, it would great to get to know the jayhawk training table meals, how closely the caloric intake is monitored and how hydration is monitored during these brutal 'optional workout' summer days. Rock Chalk!

July 5, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

waywardJay (anonymous) says...

I think there is a Simple answer here, woodling.

We plain Stink historically. We have a history, we have past success, but for too long our jersey's have not mattered.....

FInal SCore 66-3 other guys.....

You think we wanna be reminded of any decade specifically ???? How about the '80s ?

Going retro works when you have history ( like nebraska has ) of consistantly year in and year out beating the bejesus out of US..... whether it's proper or not.... losing teams do not sell alotof jerseys.... and retro would be hard for us to work....

Jayhawk on the helmet.... Thanks but no..... The other commentor had it right.... look at our record post trajan.... maybe that has more to do with mangino, reesing etc. but ill take the look we got now in football.....

However, we should go retro basketeball style at least once next year...... Adidas versions of our 1988 championship team jersey's would be nice...... also, we can go back to ANY decade at any point.... and specifically pick any other year... because let's face it .... we have been dominant.....

July 5, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

coloradojayhawk (anonymous) says...

I'm one who loves the Jayhawk on the helmet, and I'd take that any day over the bland KU we have there now. I do agree, however, that we should have something historical to celebrate, and the best KU football accomplishment I can think of was all of two years ago, so there's nothing retro needing acknowledgement. Maybe if we wanted to go retro to the first Border War game sometime, but other than that...

July 5, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hailtoku (anonymous) says...

I think we should go retro and bring back the 2007 uniforms

July 5, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lighthawk (anonymous) says...

Uniforms should aid performance. Light colors in the hot days and dark colors in the cooler temp days...to reflect or absorb the sun's natural temperature moderating effect.
Gale Sayers retro day would work for me, just have all the jerseys say SAYERS on the back above the number to honor our all time best player.
Agree, I'm old school yet no need for the cartoon bird on the helmet...solid blue with crimson wide stripe from front to back.

July 5, 2009 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

rcjh22 (anonymous) says...

Let's focus on winning the north than on some ugly old jerseys.

July 5, 2009 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Frankenhawk (anonymous) says...

i would like the jayhawk on the helmet, but i wouldnt say im clamoring for it. if we did put a jayhawk on the helmet it should be just the head, like those license plates where the head barely fits cuz they made it so big. and yea, while we're on the subject, we should go back to the WWll jayhawk that actually looks like it wants to whoop your but and not shake your hand.

July 5, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

5DecadeHawk (anonymous) says...

How about the LJW goes Retro first?

Maybe they could actually have writers that get up off their butts and go find stories about sports. Now that would be RETRO to the good old days of newspaper journalism. Getting stories instead of waiting for someone to post them on the internet and then making phone calls (maybe) to see if they are true.

Naaah. Never mind. That would require effort. Woodling might actually have to think or something. He needs to stick to something he's good at. He'd rather wax wistfully in hopes that KU will try to copy his beloved MU teams.

July 5, 2009 at 12:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

waywardJay (anonymous) says...

or at least NOT hire a reporter from the other side of the border war.....e rrr showdown.... im going retro on this one.... Border WAR

July 5, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

suttonku (anonymous) says...

I like the idea of a retro game...just to throw this in there Nebraska will go retro on their homecoming this year which is also the game that they will reach 300 sellouts in a row which is pretty amazing I think

July 5, 2009 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

memhawk (anonymous) says...

okjhok-

Are you suggesting that a new jayhawk image be adopted in general?

A "less cartoonish" version? Should they go out and photograph a "real" jayhawk and use that image?

July 5, 2009 at 1:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Kman_blue (anonymous) says...

I agree with Frankenhawk. The 1941 Jayhawk looks like it means business and is out to whoop up on someone. I vote for us going Retro back to that version of the Jayhawk.

If we go for a Retro jersey, we should go Retro back to our 1908 undefeated jerseys. We beat Oklahoma at home, beat Nebraska at Nebraska, beat Iowa at Iowa, as well as beating both KSU and Mizzery(in KC). Undefeated season.

Then again, I don't know how well bringing back leather helmets would work out for the players. lol

July 5, 2009 at 3:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

wyansas (anonymous) says...

i miss the old carnival font on the 2007 and earlier jerseys. the trajan font is lame.

July 5, 2009 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Eurekahwk (anonymous) says...

Keep the unis simple. They are fine just they way they are. Not Navy blue, not Terry Allen era blue, If we are to insist on keeping the reds, then they need a matching red helmet. Because it really looks High Schoolish. In fact, my highschool used to have blue jersy with red helmet.

July 5, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

fordbray (anonymous) says...

A new Jayhawk? What like a power-Hawk? Gag me.

July 5, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Rock_Chalk_NYC (anonymous) says...

See left... this is the bad arse Jayhawk we need for football... This jay is ready to rumble...

July 5, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )