While the baseball pinstripe jerseys to be worn at the Wrigley Field match are stunning, they follow a Husker volleyball tradition of taking inspiration from Major League Baseball for an iconic look.
When Nebraska takes on Missouri in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge on Sunday, the two teams will have a unique venue: legendary Wrigley Field.
Yes, the Huskers will add a Major League Baseball stadium to their long list of places to play. The Big Red have also played in basketball arenas, college football stadiums, and, just recently, an NFL stadium.
Nebraska will also wear specialty jerseys, designed in the image of a traditional baseball uniform. Of course, the color scheme is red and white. The N is in the upper left of the chest, with a number and the adidas logo on the other side.
What makes these jerseys special is the baseball pinstripes, as well as the last names on the back. That last part is something players were excited about in the video reveal below.
Here is where that baseball speciality jersey takes a twist: these aren't the first Nebraska has had that takes its cues from Major League Baseball.
Terry Pettit took over as head coach of Husker volleyball back in 1977, in just the third year of the program. As he points out in his blog post at terrypettit.com, the team was then wearing "red short-sleeved mesh tops, purchased at a local sporting goods store and screened with white numbers." You didn't have the big brands making uniforms for teams yet.
As Pettit tells it, he decided to design a jersey that would become a brand for Nebraska volleyball. He enjoyed the "simple, clean and classic" looks of the New York Yankees, the Boston Celtics, and the Detroit Tigers. Those looks included primarily two colors and instantly identifiable lettering.
In the end, Pettit decided to riff on the home uniform for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Here is how he described it:
It was everything that epitomized first class. If the jersey were a sport sedan it would be called “alpine white.” Across the front, the name “Dodgers” was tackle twilled in bright azure blue script at slightly ascending angle until the letter “S” doubles back and underlines the name. The numerals are tackle twilled in a red or blue block lettering located halfway between the script and the belt.
Being a couple of years into the Pettit era, Mizuno had begun providing shoes and uniforms for the Huskers. So, Pettit ordered 15 solid white jerseys and took them to Harold’s Lettering on North 48th in Lincoln. Harold's sewed the lettering on instead of silk-screening them, which was the norm at the time.
Pettit called the first time he saw the team in the new uniforms "breathtaking in its beauty and simplicity."
Harper Murray wears a uniform in 2026 that is strikingly similar to what Jordan Larson wore in the mid-2000s and what was worn by Pettit's teams in the late 1980s. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN"The Nebraska Volleyball look went on to become one of the most identifiable brands of any team in any sport in the country," Pettit said to close his blog post.
For more than 40 years, the main Nebraska volleyball jersey has been one inspired by the big leagues. On Sunday, with a new, one-time look, that tradition simply continues.
Orel Hershiser delivers a pitch in 1986, the same year Nebraska wore its Dodgers-inspired uniforms and finished as national runner-up. | MPS-USA TODAY SportsHat tip to Dave Feit for reminding us all of Terry Pettit's fantastic writing and blog posts.
