North Carolina State University School Colors
North Carolina State University's school colors are Wolfpack Red (#CC0000) and Wolfpack White (#FFFFFF). NC State'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 NC State colors
NC State's earliest teams wore pink and blue, colors tied to the school's two leading literary societies. Brown and white were adopted briefly in the mid-1890s before a student vote replaced them with red and white, which the faculty then made binding unless two-thirds of the student body voted to change them. Accounts differ on the exact year: the university library's timeline dates the red and white vote to November 1895, while the brand style guide says red and white have been the official colors since 1896.
Sources: historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu · brand.ncsu.edu · lib.ncsu.edu
Photo: Melizabethi123, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: CavsFan45, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Melizabethi123, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
NC State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfpack Red | #CC0000 | 204, 0, 0 | 0, 100, 81, 4 | PMS 186 C | |
| Wolfpack White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — | |
| Wolfpack Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | — |
NC State secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds Red | #990000 | 153, 0, 0 | 24, 100, 100, 24 | PMS 7622 C | |
| Pyroman Flame | #D14905 | 209, 73, 5 | 0, 76, 100, 0 | PMS 166 C | |
| Hunt Yellow | #FAC800 | 250, 200, 0 | 0, 20, 100, 2 | PMS 7408 C | |
| Genomic Green | #6F7D1C | 111, 125, 28 | 46, 6, 100, 42 | PMS 7496 C | |
| Carmichael Aqua | #008473 | 0, 132, 115 | 87, 34, 51, 11 | PMS 3282 C | |
| Innovation Blue | #427E93 | 66, 126, 147 | 75, 38, 26, 1 | PMS 7697 C | |
| Bio-Indigo | #4156A1 | 65, 86, 161 | 86, 78, 5, 0 | PMS 2726 C |
Matching NC State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from NC 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 NC State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 463 styles close to Wolfpack Red.
Clothing in Wolfpack Red #CC0000
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Wolfpack Red, measured from the garment itself. 463 matching styles in stock.
NC State colors: frequently asked questions
What are NC State school colors?
North Carolina State University's school colors are Wolfpack Red (#CC0000) and Wolfpack White (#FFFFFF). The official brand palette also includes Wolfpack Black as a primary color, plus 7 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Wolfpack Red?
Wolfpack Red is #CC0000 (RGB 204, 0, 0, CMYK 0, 100, 81, 4).
What Pantone color is Wolfpack Red?
Wolfpack Red is PMS 186 C.
Why are NC State's colors Wolfpack Red and Wolfpack White?
NC State's earliest teams wore pink and blue, colors tied to the school's two leading literary societies. Brown and white were adopted briefly in the mid-1890s before a student vote replaced them with red and white, which the faculty then made binding unless two-thirds of the student body voted to change them.
Color values are taken from the official North Carolina State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by North Carolina 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.