University of Iowa School Colors
University of Iowa's school colors are Gold (#FFCD00) and Black (#000000). Iowa'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 Iowa colors
The University of Iowa says its black-and-gold palette dates back to the 1880s. According to The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), drawing on the State Historical Society's Palimpsest, a student committee recommended gold as the official color in spring 1887, and a campus newspaper vote in 1894 settled on old gold over other shades, 213 to 98. Black was added gradually over the following decades as an accent, and by the 1920s the varsity football team wore black jerseys with gold trim. No official meaning for the colors has been published.
Sources: brand.uiowa.edu · thegazette.com · lib.uiowa.edu
Photo: MediaGuy768, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nkedan at English Wikipedia (Original text: Me.), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Asolsma1988, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Iowa primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | #FFCD00 | 255, 205, 0 | 0, 18, 100, 0 | PMS 116 C PMS 123 (screen printing) Madeira thread 910-1069 Classic Rayon #40 | |
| Black | #000000 | — | 0, 0, 0, 100 | — |
Iowa gold for screen printing and embroidery
The University of Iowa specifies PMS 116 C for its gold but says to use PMS 123 for screen printing, with Madeira 910-1069 Classic Rayon thread for embroidery. The licensing office's manual lists Hawkeye Gold as #FCD116.
Iowa secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Gray 4 | #BBBCBC | 187, 188, 188 | 12, 8, 9, 23 | PMS Cool Gray 4 | |
| Blue (print) | #00A9E0 | 0, 169, 224 | 83, 1, 0, 0 | PMS 2995 | |
| Green (print) | #00AF66 | 0, 175, 102 | 88, 0, 68, 0 | PMS 3405 | |
| Orange (print) | #FF8200 | 255, 130, 0 | 0, 60, 100, 0 | PMS 151 | |
| Cool Gray 10 (digital) | #63666A | 99, 102, 106 | 40, 30, 20, 66 | PMS Cool Gray 10 | |
| Blue (digital) | #00558C | 0, 85, 140 | 100, 48, 6, 3 | PMS 7462 | |
| Green (digital) | #00664F | 0, 102, 79 | 95, 11, 70, 44 | PMS 336 | |
| Orange (digital) | #BD472A | 189, 71, 42 | 1, 80, 88, 14 | PMS 7598 |
Iowa athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeye Gold | #FCD116 | 255, 194, 13 | 0, 15, 95, 0 | PMS 116 (stated as 'in lieu of use Pantone 116') Madeira thread 910-1069 Classic Rayon #40 |
Matching Iowa colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Iowa'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 Iowa's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 174 styles close to Gold, 120 styles close to Hawkeye Gold.
Clothing in Gold #FFCD00
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Gold, measured from the garment itself. 174 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Hawkeye Gold #FCD116
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Hawkeye Gold, measured from the garment itself. 120 matching styles in stock.
Iowa colors: frequently asked questions
What are Iowa school colors?
University of Iowa's school colors are Gold (#FFCD00) and Black (#000000).
What is the hex code for Iowa Gold?
Iowa Gold is #FFCD00 (RGB 255, 205, 0, CMYK 0, 18, 100, 0).
What Pantone color is Iowa Gold?
Iowa Gold is PMS 116 C and PMS 123 (screen printing).
Why are Iowa's colors Gold and Black?
The University of Iowa says its black-and-gold palette dates back to the 1880s. According to The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), drawing on the State Historical Society's Palimpsest, a student committee recommended gold as the official color in spring 1887, and a campus newspaper vote in 1894 settled on old gold over other shades, 213 to 98.
What Pantone should I use to screen print Iowa gold?
The University of Iowa's brand site says to use PMS 123 for screen printing. Its standard gold is PMS 116 C.
Color values are taken from the official University of Iowa brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Iowa. 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.