Jordan “Cat Scratch” Collection Is a Love Letter to Cincinnati

Jordan Brand is dropping a “Cat Scratch” collection, paying homage to the iconic Cincinnati Bearcats uniforms from the late’ 90s.

In the fall of 1997, the University of Cincinnati’s basketball team was recruited as the third member of the Jumpman roster, joining Cal on the West Coast and St. John’s in New York. That season, the Bob Huggins-led team rocked their new Jordan-designed Cat Scratch uniform, featuring the signature stripes on the sides of the shorts and jerseys.

The uniforms garnered attention for their bold look, during an era where most college basketball jerseys were plainly designed. They even appeared on national daytime TV, debuted by Michael Jordan and Blackstreet on The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Almost three decades later, Jordan Brand introduces the Cat Scratch collection, “a love letter to a city that bleeds pride and earns every inch.” It features mesh basketball jerseys and shorts in two colorways—black with white accents and white with red accents—each with the iconic stripes running down the sleeves and legs. The Jumpman has teamed up with local premier sneaker retailer Corporate for the exclusive early launch in Cincinnati.

The collection is presented alongside a campaign starring some familiar Cincinnati faces: Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, five-year Bearcat Jillian Hayes, Hood Century-founder Jerald Cooper, and the legend Steve Logan, the University of Cincinnati’s all-time leader in career victories who was on the 1997 Bearcats squad.

The Jordan Cat Scratch collection will launch exclusively at Corporate in Cincinnati on April 28th, with a wider release to follow on Nike.com and select retailers. Check out the campaign below.

Jordan Cat Scratch Collection
Release Date: April 28, 2025 (Corporate)