Tennessee
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.
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.
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.”
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Big hearts, small hands! Tennessee kids are stepping up to make a big difference this summer.
First Lady Maria Lee on Tuesday announced the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, encouraging young students to dedicate part of their summer to helping others.
The program, part of the Tennessee Serves initiative, runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders across the state.
Participants must complete at least two hours of service across two of eight designated categories to finish the challenge, with top participants earning an invitation to a September carnival at the Tennessee Residence.
Since its launch in 2019, more than 3,500 children have contributed over 15,000 hours of service through activities ranging from park cleanups to assisting nursing homes and raising funds for disaster relief.
Registration opened Tuesday, with parents and guardians able to sign up participants and access additional details through the First Lady’s official website.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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