By Harry Minium
When the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary began playing football, basketball and baseball in 1930, coach Tommy Scott's teams did so wearing green, in deference to the mother school in Williamsburg.
At times, sports writers referred to the football team in print as the "Green Wave."
The colors changed to light blue in 1962, when the Norfolk Division became Old Dominion College. It took a few years, but athletic director Scrap Chandler eventually settled on Columbia blue, the same color worn by the University of North Carolina and, of course, Columbia University.
The school attained university status in 1969 and ODU wore that color when it won national championships in men's and women's basketball, field hockey and sailing.
Then, in 1985, the school abruptly changed school colors again, to slate blue and silver. It was a move that broke tradition and broke the hearts of a lot of alumni, including me.
Associate Athletic Director Tina Price said Columbia Blue was re-introduced as an accent color in 2002 when logos were redesigned in conjunction with the opening of what is now Chartway Arena. She said focus groups of alumni "overwhelmingly associated basketball success with that color."
The men's basketball team was the first to wear throwback jerseys in the old light blue the early 2000's, followed by the women.
When his team donned blue for the first time, baseball coach Chris Finwood dubbed it "Carol Hudson Blue," in honor of the long-time sports information director. It has since been shortened to "Hudson Blue," and honors a guy who gave his life to ODU.
"I remember Carol saying how much he liked that color blue, he would always say it's his favorite. So that's why we started calling it Hudson Blue," Finwood said.
Every sport has since followed suit and worn Hudson Blue.
Except football. And that ends Saturday night, when the Monarchs will play in Hudson Blue jerseys and pants for the first time ever when they host Buffalo.
Coach Ricky Rahne embraced the idea of wearing Hudson Blue only weeks after he took the job and he's enthused about it.
"I'm excited about Hudson Blue because it's one of our traditional colors and every single team on this campus has worn it except for us," he said at his weekly press conference. "I think it's a great opportunity for us to go out there and play in an Old Dominion color and rock it.
"I'm upset I don't get to wear it. I think it would bring out my eyes."
And yes, that brought some laughs from the gathered media.
"But we'll be in the Navy Blue, so the players get to wear it and we don't want to blend in with them," he said of his staff.
"I think it's a great look, I think our guys look great in it, I think they're very excited about it.
"But after two and a half seconds you don't remember what jersey you're in anymore, you're in a dogfight and you know you're playing against a good football team in Buffalo."
True. It may not mean a lot to the players after the game begins. But Rahne didn't make the decision to embrace Hudson Blue just for his players.
He did it mostly for the fans.
Carol Hudson and Ricky Rahne
ODU fans, you're asked to wear Hudson Blue along with the players.
ODU women's basketball star Nancy Lieberman is one football fan who was thrilled to hear the team will wear the color she wore when the then Lady Monarchs won two national championships. And by the way, she is very close with former Monarch quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who is kicking up a storm in the NFl with the Washington Football Team, and keeps up with ODU football.
"I appreciate coach Rahne for honoring our history in this way," she said. "I love it."
She said she will be watching the game from her home in Texas.
Carol will be inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame next month and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.
Carol enrolled at ODU in 1972 and was on the bench in 1975, as a student manager, when the university won its first national championship, the NCAA Division II men's basketball championship, in Evansville, Indiana.
Later, he became ODU's sports information director. He retired in 2015 after serving ODU for more than three decades.
CAROL HUDSON RETIRES
No one knows more about ODU's history, and I don't think anyone loves this university, more than Carol, a Norfolk native who never left home.
Although Rahne was hired nearly 22 months ago, he had not met Carol, and with good reason. Carol's sister, Vanessa, had cancer and when the pandemic hit, he stayed home for fear of catching COVID and infecting his sister.
For the first time since the early 1970s, he missed every ODU basketball and baseball game. We didn't see Carol for more than a year.
Vanessa passed away recently and that was only months after Carol lost his best friend, Claude Stafford.
Rahne said recently he had not met Carol and would like to, so I took Carol to football practice Tuesday afternoon.
Rahne, being the good guy that he is, let his coaches know who was going to be there and several shook Carol's hand.
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for Old Dominion," said Tristin Iannone, assistant director of football operations as he shook Carol's hand.
Rahne spent 15 minutes or so talking with Carol and they hit it off. He thanked Carol for all he's done for ODU, expressed condolences for the loss of sister and exchanged banter about football, athletics and family.
It was clear, they both enjoyed the conversation.
Lieberman was unaware that the powder blue she wore is now called Hudson Blue. "Carol is one of those people who never got his due, so I'm very happy for him," she said.
When I asked what he thought about having a school color named for him, Carol spoke from his heart.
"This is a very cool honor," he said. "I am so very appreciative of the ODU family including me as part of the school's past and present. The light blue is an important piece of the school's history."
Finwood said "He's such an understated and humble gentleman. I think it makes him happy every time he hears it. What a cool way to honor a guy to name one of your colors for him."
Finwood is an avid football fan, and is close with Rahne, and said he will have goosebumps when the Monarchs hit the field Sunday night.
"They've never worn it, so that makes it an historic night," Finwood said. "I'll have a big smile on my face because I know just how neat that will be for Carol.
"They could not be honoring a better guy."
And where will Carol be on Saturday? In the press box, calling out plays on the press box PA system, a stressful chore that he does exceedingly well.
Other than the time his sister was sick, he's rarely missed an ODU home football, baseball or men's or women's basketball game. And he doesn't sit in the stands. He works, six years after he retired.
Like I said, no one loves ODU more than Carol.
Minium was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in his 39 years at The Virginian-Pilot and won 27 state and national writing awards. He covers ODU athletics for odusports.com Follow him on Twitter @Harry_MiniumODU, Instagram @hbminium1 or email hminium@odu.edu
Minium: ODU Football Team is Psyched About Wearing Hudson Blue Against Buffalo on Saturday
