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Why does Lady Vols softball wear blue uniforms? Explaining story behind ‘Summitt Blue’ jersey

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Why does Lady Vols softball wear blue uniforms? Explaining story behind ‘Summitt Blue’ jersey


Tune into a playoff game for the first time and you will come across some unique, and maybe outlandish, uniforms that teams wear. It’s even the strategy some use to make their bracket come March Madness.

Tennessee softball is one of them.

The No. 3 seed Lady Vols (43-10 overall, 19-5) are playing for their ninth berth to the Women’s College World Series this weekend in the Knoxville Super Regional against SEC-foe No. 14 seed Alabama, starting on Friday, May 24 at 4 p.m. ET.

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REQUIRED READING: Why it’s special for Tennessee softball seniors to lead Lady Vols back to NCAA super regional

Though the Lady Vols wear “traditional” Tennessee color uniforms, white and “Smokey Grey” they also have an alternate uniform that stands out on TV: “Summitt Blue.”

And so, as the Lady Vols look to pick up two more wins to return to the WCWS for the second straight year, curiosity has risen on the origin story of their “Summitt Blue” uniforms and why the Lady Vols wear them. Here’s what you need to know:

Why does Lady Vols softball wear blue uniforms?

To the average fan who does not pay close attention to Lady Vols games, blue may not look right in the color scheme for Tennessee — considering the Vols logo is orange and the men’s basketball and football programs alternate between white, orange and “Smokey Grey” uniforms — and that is a fair assessment, but there is some history to it.

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And it is a two-fold answer.

The “blue accent color”, as it was called by Tennessee’s website, first debuted with the Lady Vols women’s basketball team in 1968 due to uniform manufacturing companies not offering orange uniforms. In response to this, Tennessee’s women’s athletic director emeritus Joan Cronan decided on the Lady Vols home uniforms to be Columbia blue with orange lettering and piping on them. That is how the “blue accent” was born.

But in 2022, as part of the NCAA celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Tennessee renamed its “blue accent color” to “Summitt Blue” in honor of legendary Lady Vols and women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt. Summitt, of course, was a pioneer for women’s sports across her 38-year career coaching on Rocky Top, which featured eight national championships and a 1,098-208 career coaching record.

That season, Tennessee unveiled “Summitt Blue” uniforms for women’s basketball, women’s soccer, softball and volleyball.

“Tennessee’s history as a worldwide leader in women’s athletics, along with the Lady Vols’ unique legacy of excellence are traditions we are proud to celebrate,” Tennessee vice chancellor and director of athletics Danny White said in a 2022 press release. “As some of our teams recently saw their new Summitt Blue uniforms for the first time, they reacted with a joy and enthusiasm that I hope will extend to our fans and proud alumni.”

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Tennessee softball team first debuted its “Summitt Blue” uniforms down Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last season for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Since then, the uniform has stayed in the rotation as the Lady Vols also wear their traditional white uniform with orange lettering and piping down the side and “Smokey Grey” uniform with orange lettering and piping down the side during weekend series.



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Tennessee

Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee – WBBJ TV

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Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee – WBBJ TV


MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) — The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is underway in Tennessee, bringing tens of thousands of fans to a 700-acre farm campground and concert venue for more than 150 performances this weekend. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Pretty Lights are among those headlining the sprawling annual event.

Concertgoers were facing a hot, sunny weekend at the Bonnaroo grounds some 60 miles (97) kilometers southeast of Nashville. The four-day annual festival, which kicked off Thursday, features live music on more than 10 stages. The performances run through the night and into early morning, including sunrise sets.

Post Malone performs during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Manchester, Tenn. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage The Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Khruangbin, Fred again, Cigarettes After Sex, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Diplo and Carly Rae Jepsen.

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Bonnaroo debuted on a rural Tennessee farm more than two decades ago. Over the years, it has featured a diverse lineup from Elton John and Jay Z to Paul McCartney, DeadMau5 and Bruce Springsteen. It also features a 24-hour cinema, comedy club, beer festival and theater performers.

Bonnaroo’s annual attendance is around 80,000 people. Some of this year’s acts will be streamed on Hulu.

Find more Tennessee news, click here.





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Tennessee

Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee

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Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee


The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is underway in Tennessee, bringing tens of thousands of fans to a 700-acre farm campground and concert venue for more than 150 performances this weekend.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Pretty Lights are among those headlining the sprawling annual event.

Concertgoers were facing a hot, sunny weekend at the Bonnaroo grounds some 60 miles southeast of Nashville.

The four-day annual festival, which kicked off Thursday, features live music on more than 10 stages.

Advertisement

The performances run through the night and into early morning, including sunrise sets.

Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage The Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Khruangbin, Fred again, Cigarettes After Sex, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Diplo and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Bonnaroo debuted on a rural Tennessee farm more than two decades ago.

Over the years, it has featured a diverse lineup from Elton John and Jay Z to Paul McCartney, DeadMau5 and Bruce Springsteen.

It also features a 24-hour cinema, comedy club, beer festival and theater performers.

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Bonnaroo’s annual attendance is around 80,000 people.

Some of this year’s acts will be streamed on Hulu.

With heat indexes projected to approach triple digits, medical crews treated various heat-related conditions while some revelers constructed elaborate canopy and tent combinations for shade; others had their sunscreen confiscated upon entry because of restrictions on full-sized bottles and aerosol cans, The Tennessean reported.



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TBI offers reward after Morristown man charged in Bean Station double homicide

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TBI offers reward after Morristown man charged in Bean Station double homicide


GRAINGER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A man charged in relation to a double homicide in Bean Station that happened at the end of May was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list on Saturday.

Grainger County Sheriff James Harville confirmed to WATE that Aaron Ethan White, 34, of Morristown was wanted on two counts of criminal homicide in relation to the deaths of Jon Atkins, 49, and Deven McDaniel, 32, who were found dead in Bean Station along Rocky Springs Road on May 25.

White was added to the TBI’s Most Wanted List on Saturday, with a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. According to the TBI, he should be considered armed and dangerous.

White is 6’2″ tall and around 220 pounds with blue eyes. He is believed to currently have a shaved head and beard.

Although investigators obtained warrants for White on Friday, attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful, the TBI said.

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Anyone with information about White’s whereabouts is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates.

Harville adds that the investigation into the case is ongoing.



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