University of Cincinnati School Colors
University of Cincinnati's school colors are UC Red (#E00122) and UC Black (#000000). Cincinnati's brand standards define 11 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Cincinnati colors
Students at the University of Cincinnati began calling for official colors in an 1881 editorial in the student paper, but for the next decade individual classes and teams used their own combinations, including blue and brown. In December 1891 a formal request was made for university colors, and in April 1892 a student committee recommended black and scarlet, which student government adopted after considerable discussion. Before the Bearcats nickname took hold, UC's teams were known simply as "the Red & Black."
Sources: libapps.libraries.uc.edu · uc.edu
Photo: Apyanac, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cincinnati primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Red | #E00122 | 224, 1, 34 | 0, 100, 81, 4 | PMS 200 (adjusted from 186 C per Trademarks & Licensing for printed products) | |
| UC Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 100, 100, 100, 100 | PMS 100% Black | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | PMS 0% Black |
Why UC Red is PMS 200
The University of Cincinnati moved UC Red from PMS 186 C to PMS 200 on the advice of its trademark and licensing office, so the red prints accurately on merchandise.
Cincinnati secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Dark Red | #B8011C | 184, 1, 28 | — | — | |
| Grey | #F3F3F3 | 243, 243, 243 | — | — |
Additional Cincinnati palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun Maroon | #890519 | 137, 5, 25 | 28, 100, 98, 32 | — | |
| Steger Silver | #A7A5AA | 167, 165, 170 | 37, 31, 27, 0 | — | |
| Main Street Mist | #E0DFE3 | 224, 223, 227 | 11, 9, 6, 0 | — | |
| Bearcats Black | #333333 | 51, 51, 51 | 69, 63, 62, 58 | — | |
| Gettler Gold | #D1B179 | 209, 177, 121 | 14, 25, 62, 0 | — | |
| Tangeman Tan | #EADBC1 | 234, 219, 193 | 4, 12, 25, 0 | — |
Matching Cincinnati colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Cincinnati's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Cincinnati's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 814 styles close to UC Red.
Clothing in UC Red #E00122
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to UC Red, measured from the garment itself. 814 matching styles in stock.
Cincinnati colors: frequently asked questions
What are Cincinnati school colors?
University of Cincinnati's school colors are UC Red (#E00122) and UC Black (#000000). The official brand palette also includes White as a primary color, plus 8 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for UC Red?
UC Red is #E00122 (RGB 224, 1, 34, CMYK 0, 100, 81, 4).
What Pantone color is UC Red?
UC Red is PMS 200 (adjusted from 186 C per Trademarks & Licensing for printed products).
Why are Cincinnati's colors UC Red and UC Black?
Students at the University of Cincinnati began calling for official colors in an 1881 editorial in the student paper, but for the next decade individual classes and teams used their own combinations, including blue and brown. In December 1891 a formal request was made for university colors, and in April 1892 a student committee recommended black and scarlet, which student government adopted after considerable discussion.
Color values are taken from the official University of Cincinnati brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Cincinnati. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.