UT athletic director Mike Hamilton already knew that the Vols' popular white jerseys, featuring orange panels on the shoulder, do not comply with NCAA rules because there's too much orange on them.
Hamilton, however, petitioned and was granted a one-game exemption by the NCAA for the team to wear the jerseys in the home opener this season against UNLV.
Hamilton said he was under the impression the Vols would get to wear the jerseys again in the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl against maroon-clad Texas A&M.
On Monday, he found out otherwise, and the school was forced to order 135 more Cotton Bowl patches to be sewn on the schools' regular road uniforms.
"We had been given an indication that it might be OK (to wear the retro jerseys),'' Hamilton said. "But as it turned out, we didn't get the approval. We knew that was a potential risk. I'm a little disappointed.''
Hamilton said the Vols' retro jersey, styled after a uniform worn by UT in the 1970s, are within an inch of the NCAA standards, in terms of the amount of color allowed on a road uniform.
Hamilton said he'll consider allowing the Vols to wear retro uniforms in the future, though there are no plans at this time.
"I do know the league is looking at basketball teams wearing retros for a series in 2006,'' he said. "I'm not against pulling out a retro every now and then. I don't necessarily think it's going to be an every year occasion.''
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