Louisiana State University School Colors
Louisiana State University's school colors are LSU Purple (#461D7C) and LSU Gold (#FDD023). LSU's brand standards define 10 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 LSU colors
LSU has used purple and gold since 1893, but accounts of how they were chosen differ. In one version, told in 1937 by first football coach Charles Coates, he and his players went looking for ribbon before an 1893 fall game and bought a store's stock of Mardi Gras ribbon; the green had not yet arrived, so the team wore purple and gold. Another account says LSU's baseball team first wore the colors in spring 1893, picked by captain E.B. Young, against Tulane. The university says the colors are technically royal purple and old gold.
Sources: lsu.edu
Photo: Tammy Anthony Baker, Photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Daniel Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
LSU primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU Purple | #461D7C | 70, 29, 124 | 82, 98, 0, 12 | PMS 268 C PMS 268 U | |
| LSU Gold | #FDD023 | 253, 208, 35 | 0, 19, 89, 0 (coated); 0, 11, 94, 0 (uncoated) | PMS 123 C PMS 115 U |
LSU secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Purple | #3C1053 | 60, 16, 83 | 85, 100, 6, 38 | PMS 2627 C PMS 269 U | |
| Light Purple | #A39AAC | 163, 154, 172 | 37, 37, 17, 0 | PMS 7660 C PMS 7660 U | |
| Corporate Gold | #D29F13 | 210, 159, 19 | 0, 28, 98, 11 | PMS 7555 C PMS 7555 U | |
| Light Gold | #F1EEDB | 241, 238, 219 | 5, 4, 14, 0 | No solid version | |
| Light Gray | #D0D0CE | 208, 208, 208 | 0, 0, 0, 20 | PMS Cool Gray 2 C PMS Cool Gray 2 U | |
| 50% Gray | #999999 | 153, 153, 153 | 0, 0, 0, 50 | PMS Cool Gray 8 C PMS Cool Gray 8 U | |
| Process Black | #333333 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black |
Additional LSU palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU Metallic Gold | — | — | — | PMS 872 (metallic) |
Matching LSU colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from LSU'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 LSU's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 333 styles close to LSU Purple, 132 styles close to LSU Gold.
Clothing in LSU Purple #461D7C
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to LSU Purple, measured from the garment itself. 333 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in LSU Gold #FDD023
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to LSU Gold, measured from the garment itself. 132 matching styles in stock.
LSU colors: frequently asked questions
What are LSU school colors?
Louisiana State University's school colors are LSU Purple (#461D7C) and LSU Gold (#FDD023).
What is the hex code for LSU Purple?
LSU Purple is #461D7C (RGB 70, 29, 124, CMYK 82, 98, 0, 12).
What is the hex code for LSU Gold?
LSU Gold is #FDD023 (RGB 253, 208, 35, CMYK 0, 19, 89, 0 (coated); 0, 11, 94, 0 (uncoated)).
What Pantone color is LSU Purple?
LSU Purple is PMS 268 C and PMS 268 U.
What Pantone color is LSU Gold?
LSU Gold is PMS 123 C and PMS 115 U.
Why are LSU's colors LSU Purple and LSU Gold?
LSU has used purple and gold since 1893, but accounts of how they were chosen differ. In one version, told in 1937 by first football coach Charles Coates, he and his players went looking for ribbon before an 1893 fall game and bought a store's stock of Mardi Gras ribbon; the green had not yet arrived, so the team wore purple and gold.
Color values are taken from the official Louisiana State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Louisiana State University. 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.