How Are Sports Jersey Numbers Assigned?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Kirk Cousins officially became a Viking Thursday. He'll wear a No. 8 jersey, which was the same number he had with the Redskins and in college at Michigan State.
So how are sports jersey numbers assigned? Good Question.
Heather Brown stopped by the girls high school tournament for their stories.
High school students will tell you -- the numbers are usually chosen long before they appear on TV.
"I liked Derek Jeter, so I picked No. 2," one student said.
In high school and NCAA basketball, you'll notice there are no numbers between six and nine on the jersey. It's for hand-signaling reasons.
When it comes to pro basketball, they don't have that rule -- or really any rules. Players do the picking, as long as the number is available. They can wear six through nine, but it's less common because players often choose their college number.
The Lynx haven't retired any jerseys -- yet! Malik Sealy's No. 2 is the only one for the Timberwolves.
For hockey, it's similar. The Wild says players get their say, and if you're a veteran, you get more of a say. The only NHL rules are players can't wear the number 0 or 99 -- in honor of Wayne Gretzky. Only the No. 1 Wild jersey is retired -- for the fans.
Baseball has no rules, either -- any number from zero to 99 is fair game. Players and teams hash it out, with the rookies generally getting the higher numbers.
On the Twins, numbers 3, 6, 10, 14, 28, 29 and 34 are retired for Killebrew, Oliva, Kelly, Hrbeck, Blyleven, Carew, Puckey. Jackie Robinson's No. 42 is retired league-wide.
