Kansas to wear 'Jay-Hawkers' Civil War uniforms for game vs. Baylor

The Big 12’s battle for the basement will include some special uniforms for Kansas.

The team will wear “Jay-Hawker” uniforms on Saturday vs. Baylor to honor the state’s history as a member of the Union in the Civil War.

“With inspiration from Kansas’ history as a ‘free-state,’ the special-edition look was inspired by Colonel Charles Jennison and his 7^th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry,” a release from the school said. “This cavalry regiment, which was also known as Jennison’s Jay-Hawkers, was established in October 1861 and served the Union Army during the American Civil War.

“The theme of the regiment is seen immediately on the matte crimson helmet featuring the calvary’s guidon, a smaller, swallow-tailed flag, showcased on both sides of the helmet. A chrome red facemask at the top of the helmet fades to silver to provide contrast.”

Kansas is fiercely proud of its heritage as a free state — there’s both a brewery and a high school in Lawrence titled “Free State” — and its rivalry with Missouri dates back to the Civil War. So yes, there’s probably a tiny part of these uniforms that are a troll toward the Tigers even if the teams haven’t played each other in football since 2011.

The Jayhawks (1-7) and Bears (0-8) are the only two winless teams in the conference. The winner of the game will have, in effect, a two-game lead for ninth in the conference.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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