Color Scheme

TigerBlog had a meeting with Ford Family Director of Athletics Mollie Marcoux yesterday.

It was actually the continuation of a discussion that was started last week.

The subject? How to shake things up around here. What would be a good way to give Princeton Athletics something new.

That's what Mollie wanted to know. Think big, she said.

Before TigerBlog can go ahead and tell you what was decided, he has to go back a little bit into the past. Like back to the 1880s.

Princeton's first football game was on Nov. 6, 1869, against Rutgers. It is considered the first football game in history.

Fast forward a few years, and the sport had already begun to catch up. Princeton, one of the leaders in its evolution, adopted a nickname.

If you've ever been to Princeton, perhaps you've seen the two lions that were given by the Class of 1879 - Woodrow Wilson's class - originally to guard the entrance to the Nassau Hall. For awhile, there was a thought to calling Princeton's teams the Lions.

That all changed because of William of Nassau of the House of Orange, for whom Nassau Hall was named. In his honor, Princeton began to use orange and black as its school colors, and, when the football team used those colors for its stripes on its sleeves one day, the team was credited with "fighting like Tigers."

Since then, it's been all Tigers.

Princeton Tigers is a great moniker for the team.

Anyway, that's the backdrop for the meeting that TB had with Mollie.

Actually, his first thought was an idea that he's had for years, and that's to modernize the league as a whole. The Ivy League? The real name is actually "The Council of Ivy Group Presidents." The name Ivy League itself doesn't fit in to the marketing realities of contemporary big-time college athletics.

In this league, athletic success on the national level stands on its own merit. Why not change the name to reflect that. How about this: "The Big Ivy."

Think about it. The league could come up with a logo like "B1G," which the Big Ten has used perfectly. Maybe "BIV."

Nah. TB knows that would never fly. Too much league-wide buy-in. If he put that out there today, it'd be a year from today and he would still have gotten nowhere.

As TigerBlog thought about Mollie's desire to come up with something to make a big splash,  he looked down at his sneakers.

TigerBlog has an entire wardrobe of orange and black clothes. And jackets and sweatshirts. Even shoes. He has two pairs of bright orange sneakers.

And then it hit him.

Change the colors.

When TigerBlog brought it up to Mollie, her first reaction was a smile and a "yes, that's exactly what we need to do." Then they both said "ummmm, is it possible?"

TigerBlog doesn't know too many colleges that have ever changed their color schemes. Also, very few schools have had their colors longer than Princeton has been orange and black.

Hey, for that matter, it's more Orange and Black - with capitals - than it is lower case. That's how much a part of the fabric it is here.

So here are the questions - would there be a revolution against a change of the colors? Or would people simply evolve?

TigerBlog has run into this so many times before. Any time there has been a proposal of something drastic, TigerBlog has heard from every corner about how Princeton is all about its traditions and won't accept change readily.

And every time, the change has come and people adjusted. Sure, some objected. But they adjusted.

This is a school that didn't admit women students until 1970ish. Now it has a woman as Director of Athletics and had a woman serve as University president. Women have held just about every major administrative position here that there is - in admissions, campus life, academics, everything.

Why would changing the colors be any different?

Think of the possibilities. Think of how awesome Princeton could look dressed up in a different color.

The obvious issue is that a different color wouldn't match up with the nickname Tigers, but that's etched in stone. Princeton will always be the Tigers.

And yes, actual Tigers are orange and black. But so what?

After about 15 minutes, TB and Mollie decided that this was worth pursuing. For those who don't like it, tough. See the big picture.

The next step will be a meeting between Mollie and University president Chris Eisgruber. Once he signs off, the process of choosing new colors will begin.

Mollie's idea is to get major input from the general University community on the new colors. TigerBlog isn't so sure.

Changing the colors? People will accept that. Asking them what they think but then not using it? That's another story. That would hurt people's feelings.

TigerBlog thinks the athletic department, in conjunction with University communications, should choose the new colors and then roll this out over the summer. By next football season, Princeton would have new uniforms in new colors.

He's not sure he's going to get his way on the process, but Mollie is fully on board with the timeline.

This is exactly what Princeton needs right now. A great new look. Modern colors.

Again, if you don't like it, then you're missing the point. It's time for something new and exciting.
It's too bad that there are no games today. TB would love to see new colors out there today, see what the reaction would be.

You know. New colors today.

Happy April Fool's Day, Princetonians. Don't go throwing out your orange and black just yet.