Oregon State University School Colors
Oregon State University's school colors are Beaver Orange (#D73F09) and Paddletail Black (#000000). Oregon State's brand standards define 20 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 Oregon State colors
Before the mid-1890s the school, then known as Corvallis College, used navy blue, and a faculty committee appointed by President John Bloss voted to replace it with orange. The admissions traditions page dates the choice of orange to May 2, 1893, while an exhibit post from the university's Special Collections and Archives says some reports put it in 1896 and tie it to Robert Reed Gailey, a former Princeton football player who briefly coached the team; accounts differ. Students soon used black as a background to the orange, and Oregon State Athletics says black has over time come to be accepted as an official color alongside orange.
Sources: osubeavers.com · admissions.oregonstate.edu · blogs.oregonstate.edu
Photo: Josh Hauser, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: JBM425 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oregon State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Orange | #D73F09 | 215, 63, 9 | 0, 79, 100, 0 | PMS 1665 | |
| Paddletail Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS BLACK | |
| Bucktooth White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | WHITE |
Beaver Orange Pantone
Oregon State's brand guide specifies Beaver Orange as PMS 1665 (#D73F09). The athletics traditions page names Pantone 165 orange, so licensed apparel may be matched to either value.
Oregon State secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Stand | #4A773C | 74, 119, 60 | 71, 8, 100, 50 | PMS 7742 | |
| High Tide | #00859B | 0, 133, 155 | 100, 0, 28, 20 | PMS 7712 | |
| Luminance | #FFB500 | 255, 181, 0 | 0, 22, 100, 2 | PMS 7549 | |
| Stratosphere | #006A8E | 0, 106, 142 | 100, 16, 10, 44 | PMS 7706 | |
| Reindeer Moss | #C4D6A4 | 196, 214, 164 | 20, 0, 36, 0 | PMS 580 | |
| Seafoam | #B8DDE1 | 184, 221, 225 | 20, 0, 7, 0 | PMS 628 | |
| Candela | #FDD26E | 253, 210, 110 | 0, 12, 60, 0 | PMS 134 | |
| Moondust | #C6DAE7 | 198, 218, 231 | 21, 2, 0, 1 | PMS 545 | |
| Hop Bine | #AA9D2E | 170, 157, 46 | 14, 12, 100, 34 | PMS 7767 | |
| Rogue Wave | #0D5257 | 13, 82, 87 | 89, 22, 34, 65 | PMS 7476 | |
| Solar Flare | #D3832B | 211, 131, 43 | 0, 48, 98, 10 | PMS 7570 | |
| Star Canvas | #003B5C | 0, 59, 92 | 100, 48, 12, 58 | PMS 302 | |
| Till | #B7A99A | 183, 169, 154 | 7, 14, 20, 22 | PMS 7529 | |
| Coastline | #A7ACA2 | 167, 172, 162 | 18, 8, 20, 24 | PMS 7537 | |
| High Desert | #7A6855 | 122, 104, 85 | 16, 29, 38, 53 | PMS 7531 | |
| Crater | #8E9089 | 142, 144, 137 | 24, 13, 18, 38 | PMS 7539 |
Oregon State athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Orange (Athletics) | — | — | — | PMS 165 |
Matching Oregon State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Oregon 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 Oregon State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 311 styles close to Beaver Orange.
Clothing in Beaver Orange #D73F09
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Beaver Orange, measured from the garment itself. 311 matching styles in stock.
Oregon State colors: frequently asked questions
What are Oregon State school colors?
Oregon State University's school colors are Beaver Orange (#D73F09) and Paddletail Black (#000000). The official brand palette also includes Bucktooth White as a primary color, plus 17 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Beaver Orange?
Beaver Orange is #D73F09 (RGB 215, 63, 9, CMYK 0, 79, 100, 0).
What Pantone color is Beaver Orange?
Beaver Orange is PMS 1665.
Why are Oregon State's colors Beaver Orange and Paddletail Black?
Before the mid-1890s the school, then known as Corvallis College, used navy blue, and a faculty committee appointed by President John Bloss voted to replace it with orange. The admissions traditions page dates the choice of orange to May 2, 1893, while an exhibit post from the university's Special Collections and Archives says some reports put it in 1896 and tie it to Robert Reed Gailey, a former Princeton football player who briefly coached the team; accounts differ.
Color values are taken from the official Oregon State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Oregon 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.