Alumnus wants IU colors to return to red

IU alumnus William Oakes wants to return IU to the colors of the past, changing the current crimson and cream to IU’s original colors of red and white.

Since Oakes relaunched his website www.returnthered.com about five weeks ago, the site has had more than one million hits, and about 62 percent of the 3,400 people who voted wanted to change it back to red, Oakes said. Oakes started advocating for IU to change its colors from crimson and cream back to red and white in 2003.

“I just think that they need to bring back the traditions,” he said. “They’ve reversed the other decisions. They got rid of the oval logo. They canceled the thing to come up with another mascot other than the Hoosiers. This is like the last stupid thing that they’ve done, and they haven’t fixed it yet.”

Crimson Guard President Jeff Roberts said the change would cost thousands of dollars.

“I kind of like the crimson and cream because it kind of sets us apart a little bit,” he said. The Crimson Guard student organization oversees the student section for all IU men’s basketball games.

Oakes said the University changed the colors after Bob Knight left and IU won its last national championship in basketball in 1987.

“When I still was in school, it was the Bob Knight era when we won three national championships,” he said. “I think after Coach Knight left, they tried to change everything and they took all these pictures out of Assembly Hall and they changed the colors and they tried to change the mascot.”

The color shift and logo change occurred in 2002 under the supervision of then-Athletic Director Michael McNeely.

Roberts said he doesn’t believe the rebuilding period has to do with the change in colors.

“I don’t personally think that there is any correlation,” he said. “That is just kind of like athletes who are superstitious.”

Vice President for Engagement Bill Stephan said the University made the change in an effort of unification.

“The configuration that we have is based on a plan that was developed some years ago that really sought to coordinate and integrate the University’s image,” he said. “At one time, we had a real mix of colors and logos and other graphic images that they were really confusing.”

Stephan said he doesn’t think the University is planning any major changes.

“I know the University has invested heavily over a period of years in planning and research in an effort to bring about a more uniform and coordinated representation of how Indiana University is represented through logos, colors and other graphic illustrations,” he said.

Roberts said he agreed and said the change would also be costly to the Crimson Guard.

“I don’t see the Athletics Department changing to red because it would cost thousands of dollars, and if they did, it would obviously cost thousands for us because we would have to change the name of our student section,” he said.

Oakes said he is going to continue advocating for this change as long as he can.
“I would say it is real disrespectful that they didn’t ask the fans and the students what they wanted to do,” he said. “They just went ahead and did it.”