Michigan State University School Colors
Michigan State University's school colors are Spartan Green (#18453B) and White (#FFFFFF). Michigan State's brand standards define 7 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 Michigan State colors
Michigan State's athletics department says it is unclear exactly when its teams began wearing green and white. It records that the Athletic Association of what was then Michigan Agricultural College voted on April 11, 1899, to adopt a green monogram for athletes. Wider use of the colors is generally credited to Chester L. Brewer, who arrived in 1903 as the school's first full-time athletics director. The Board of Trustees named PMS 341 the official Spartan Green in 1997, then endorsed PMS 567 in 2010 because it matched the green historically used on the band uniform and the Varsity S jacket. The same year, athletics settled on a single deep green for all 25 teams.
Sources: msuspartans.com · edge.sitecorecloud.io · annarbor.com
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Breslincenter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Michigan State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartan Green | #18453B | 24, 69, 59 | 82, 0, 64, 70 | PMS 567 | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — | |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | — |
Spartan Green's 2010 change
In 2010 Michigan State's trustees moved Spartan Green from PMS 341 to PMS 567, and athletics adopted the same single green. Older merchandise and files may still use the earlier, brighter green.
Additional Michigan State palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Green | #008208 | 0, 130, 8 | 95, 0, 100, 27 | PMS 356 C | |
| Lime Green | #7BBD00 | 123, 189, 0 | 50, 0, 100, 0 | PMS 376 C | |
| Excellence Green | #0B9A6D | 11, 154, 109 | 83, 15, 73, 2 | PMS 7724 C | |
| Refresh Green | #008934 | 0, 137, 52 | 88, 20, 100, 7 | PMS 348 C |
Matching Michigan State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Michigan State'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 Michigan State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 596 styles close to Spartan Green.
Clothing in Spartan Green #18453B
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Spartan Green, measured from the garment itself. 596 matching styles in stock.
Michigan State colors: frequently asked questions
What are Michigan State school colors?
Michigan State University's school colors are Spartan Green (#18453B) and White (#FFFFFF). The official brand palette also includes Black as a primary color, plus 4 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Spartan Green?
Spartan Green is #18453B (RGB 24, 69, 59, CMYK 82, 0, 64, 70).
What Pantone color is Spartan Green?
Spartan Green is PMS 567.
Why are Michigan State's colors Spartan Green and White?
Michigan State's athletics department says it is unclear exactly when its teams began wearing green and white. It records that the Athletic Association of what was then Michigan Agricultural College voted on April 11, 1899, to adopt a green monogram for athletes.
Color values are taken from the official Michigan State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Michigan 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.