Marquette University School Colors
Marquette University's school colors are Marquette Blue (#003366) and Marquette Gold (#FFCC00). Marquette's brand standards define 2 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 Marquette colors
Marquette's brand office says blue and gold have a long and prominent history at the university, which is why they are its primary brand colors. University Archives records that by the 1920s the colors themselves served as an informal team nickname: a 1927 article called the men's basketball team the 'Blue and Gold,' and the football team picked up the informal name 'Golden Avalanche' in 1923 because it wore gold uniforms. The student newspaper, the Marquette Wire, reports that the blue and gold come from the French field flag, in honor of the university's namesake, the French Jesuit explorer Rev. Jacques Marquette; the student paper also reports that students wore blue and gold to football games from 1892 on. No university page found gives a formal adoption date.
Sources: marquette.edu · marquette.edu · marquettewire.org · marquettewire.org
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Marquette primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette Blue | #003366 | 0, 51, 102 | 100, 72, 0, 32 | PMS 281 | |
| Marquette Gold | #FFCC00 | 255, 204, 0 | 0, 24, 100, 0 | PMS 123 |
Matching Marquette colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Marquette'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 Marquette's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 1202 styles close to Marquette Blue, 177 styles close to Marquette Gold.
Clothing in Marquette Blue #003366
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Marquette Blue, measured from the garment itself. 1202 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Marquette Gold #FFCC00
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Marquette Gold, measured from the garment itself. 177 matching styles in stock.
Marquette colors: frequently asked questions
What are Marquette school colors?
Marquette University's school colors are Marquette Blue (#003366) and Marquette Gold (#FFCC00).
What is the hex code for Marquette Blue?
Marquette Blue is #003366 (RGB 0, 51, 102, CMYK 100, 72, 0, 32).
What is the hex code for Marquette Gold?
Marquette Gold is #FFCC00 (RGB 255, 204, 0, CMYK 0, 24, 100, 0).
What Pantone color is Marquette Blue?
Marquette Blue is PMS 281.
What Pantone color is Marquette Gold?
Marquette Gold is PMS 123.
Why are Marquette's colors Marquette Blue and Marquette Gold?
Marquette's brand office says blue and gold have a long and prominent history at the university, which is why they are its primary brand colors. University Archives records that by the 1920s the colors themselves served as an informal team nickname: a 1927 article called the men's basketball team the 'Blue and Gold,' and the football team picked up the informal name 'Golden Avalanche' in 1923 because it wore gold uniforms.
Color values are taken from the official Marquette University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Marquette 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.