In honor of Black History Month, which spans the month of February, sports apparel brand Adidas has unveiled commemorative uniforms for three college basketball teams. Each uniform in this collection pays homage to African American student-athletes who paved the way for change on their respective campuses.
In January, Adidas unveiled the Mississippi State University Bulldogs as the first uniform in the series. And on Tuesday, the brand announced the addition of two additional basketball uniforms to its Black History Month Collection: the University of Louisville’s Cardinals and the University of Nebraska’s Huskers.
The Cardinals’ uniform recognizes Wade Houston, one of the first three African American basketball players in the University of Louisville’s program. On the court from 1963 to 1966, Houston took advantage of the opportunity to break the color barrier, and he eventually returned to campus to serve as assistant coach of the Cardinals in 1976.
A tribute to the team’s 1980s look, the Cardinals’ uniforms are black and cream and feature a throwback font and numbering from that era. The new version also includes red highlights, and the shorts feature the Louisville “Dunking Bird” — a tribute to the program’s 1980 and 1986 NCAA championships.
The Huskers’ Black History Month uniform recognizes Wilbur Wood, the University of Nebraska’s first African American basketball player. Having lettered from 1908 to 1910, Wood is credited with being one of the first African American players to gain prominence in college basketball.
The uniform is red and cream, with a cream stripe across the jersey featuring the Huskers’ classic “N” logo — meant to pay homage to the program’s early years.
In addition to the uniforms, players will also sport Black History Month sneakers from Adidas, a collection inspired by Jesse Owens, who became a symbol for social justice and equality; in the 1936 summer Olympic games in Berlin, he became the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single game.
Basketball teams at Mississippi State University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Nebraska plan to wear the Black History Month uniforms at games throughout the month of February.
