• By PERRYN KEYS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 27, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The Southern football program has a new set of jerseys for the Bayou Classic. It’s another matter if they’ll actually wear them.

Of course, the Jaguars (6-4, 5-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) face Grambling (9-2, 6-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Superdome for the 35th installment of the classic, and the stakes are high. Aside from annual bragging rights, a trip to the SWAC championship game is on the line.

(Grambling clinches it with a win. An SU win would force a three-way coin toss between Grambling, Southern and Prairie View.)

In recent years, the Jaguars have sported new jerseys for the Bayou Classic. In 2006, as the home team, Southern debuted gold jerseys. Last season, as the designated away team, the Jaguars wore their standard white jerseys for the Bayou Classic.

The new jerseys are a deep Columbia blue, with royal blue numerals outlined in gold. The jerseys also include a SWAC logo, the Bayou Classic logo and gold piping.

The new jerseys were made and shipped earlier this season by Southern’s uniform provider, Russell Athletic.

The Columbia blue, of course, is a nod to Southern’s original color. Over the years — especially since coach Pete Richardson took over in 1993 — the home jerseys have turned darker. They’ve been royal blue for about a decade.

Longtime equipment manager Derek Price was ready to take the Columbia blue jerseys along for the trip. For the game, he had planned to match them with SU’s royal blue helmets and white pants — but he said the boss, Richardson, came to him last week and asked that Price pack their regular royal blue jerseys instead.

This week, Richardson was mum on the matter. Price himself said Monday the jerseys were a no-go. But as the week moved on, he was less than forthcoming.

Defensive end Vince Lands: “It’s my understanding we’re playing in our regular old jerseys. We’ve been winning in those, so it’s my understanding we’ll keep that tradition going. I mean, jerseys really don’t have an effect on how you play.”

Cornerback Mike Williams: “The Bayou Classic jerseys? You know, I heard about them. They say if we do wear them, that light blue is Southern’s original color. The old pictures I’ve seen (of them), they’re beautiful. I’d love to have the chance to wear something like that.”