Inside Label: 1988 Kansas University New Era Cap

In 1891, James Naismith formulated the rules to the game of basketball. He used the game as an athletic distraction, producing an active environment for his students during the cold New England winter. Naismith knotted two peach baskets on opposing sides of one another, both which served as a target for a soaring soccer ball. Several years later, in 1898, Naismith expanded the game to the Midwest by establishing the basketball program at Kansas University. Naismith would oversee the program through the end of the 1907 season.
The basketball program at Kansas University has taken the NCAA Tournament crown three times. The great Wilt Chamberlain situated his 7’1” frame under the net on the Kansas hardwood. The sharp shooting, Kansas bred, Danny Manning exploded onto the collegiate scene while in a Jayhawks uniform. The pin point, pressure packed miracle shot of Mario Chalmers helped the Jayhawks capture their most recent title in 2008. The history of the game of basketball has embraced the Kansas program, hoisting it as one of the nation’s top programs. The waves of March Madness have begun to take stride with the Kansas Jayhawks seeking out their fourth NCAA title.
This royal wool, New Era made cap serves as a celebration of the history of the Kansas University basketball program. It is a six panel cap with royal eyelits and a white capped button. On the front two panels, in white embroidered thread, sits the acronym of Kansas University. The under brim is grey while the inside crown is trimmed in a white cotton band. The old style New Era label sits within the inside back of the cap. This cap can be dated to the second National Title recorded by Kansas in 1988.

Text: Jared E. Wheeler