UCLA Athletics will officially unveil the baseball team’s Jackie Robinson Day-themed uniforms on Monday, ahead of the annual league-wide tribute honoring the Dodgers legend.
The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at UCLA’s Acosta Athletic Complex.
Sonya Pankey, Jackie Robinson’s eldest granddaughter and executive vice president of brand development for the Jackie Robinson Estate, will present the jerseys, according to event organizers.
UCLA teased the uniforms last month on social media, posting an early preview on X, before a more detailed look at the design was later shared by UNISWAG, a sports media outlet focused on uniforms and team branding.
Officials said the uniforms were developed in collaboration with Nike and will be worn by the Bruins in several upcoming games: Tuesday against UC Santa Barbara, followed by a three-game series against Minnesota starting Friday.
Jackie Robinson Day is observed April 15, commemorating the day in 1947 when Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier as its first Black player. On that date each year, all Major League Baseball players, coaches and umpires wear Robinson’s No. 42.
Robinson attended UCLA, where he became the school’s first athlete to letter in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. He was a standout running back on the football team and also competed in track and field, though he played just one season of varsity baseball.
After leaving UCLA, Robinson went on to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, earning Rookie of the Year honors that season and later being named National League MVP in 1949.
Robinson died Oct. 24, 1972, at age 53.
His legacy continues to be honored across baseball and at UCLA, where the home baseball venue, Jackie Robinson Stadium on the Veterans Affairs’ West Los Angeles campus, is named in his honor.
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