The anticipated “Celebrate America” theme for Saturday’s Texas Tech Red Raiders game against Big 12 newcomer, the Colorado Buffaloes, has sparked a controversy after Colorado reportedly declined to participate in the theme’s merchandise campaign.

Red Raider Outfitter, the Lubbock-based apparel company responsible for designing game-themed shirts for Texas Tech, had planned to create “Celebrate America” t-shirts featuring the American flag.

However, the plan was halted when Colorado allegedly expressed disinterest in collaborating on the design.

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Stephen Spiegelberg, owner of Red Raider Outfitter, explained that each home game’s theme is developed months in advance, with themed t-shirts designed and approved well before game day.

When Spiegelberg approached Texas Tech officials about the “Celebrate America” design, the school readily approved it.

However, he says that when he reached out to Colorado, the response was different. “When I approached Colorado, they told me they were ‘not interested,’” Spiegelberg stated, according to KCBD.

After adjusting the design in hopes of a compromise, Spiegelberg was informed that Colorado would still decline participation if the American flag was included. “At that point, we pressed a little bit more, and we were told they won’t be licensing a product that had an American flag on it,” he said.

Colorado offered the option to use its logo without the flag, but Spiegelberg ultimately declined, explaining, “We refuse to do that because Colorado would receive financial benefit from those shirts. And we don’t think that anybody has the right to limit the use of the American flag in this great nation.”

In response to the controversy, Colorado issued a statement clarifying its position, asserting that the decision was unrelated to the “Celebrate America” theme or the inclusion of the flag.

A spokesperson for the school told KCBD, “We get requests to use our marks and often decline for any number of reasons.

In this case, the decision was unrelated to the ‘Celebrate America’ theme. Our standards are consistently applied and are based on widely accepted licensing and trademark best practices used by national and global brands.”

Despite Colorado’s assertion, Spiegelberg provided a copy of a message he claims to have received from Colorado earlier in the week, stating, “We don’t do many designs with flag elements combined with our marks. We’d prefer not to participate in this.”

The lack of agreement over the shirts has not deterred Red Raider Outfitter from honoring its tradition of giving back during “Celebrate America” week.

In line with the store’s commitment to supporting military-related causes, Red Raider Outfitter announced it would make a donation to Lubbock’s “Monument of Courage,” a tribute honoring veterans and military members, in lieu of the usual proceeds from shirt sales.

This development has highlighted the differences in approach between the two schools regarding national symbols and branding, especially on the football field.

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