University of Pittsburgh School Colors
University of Pittsburgh's school colors are Pitt Royal Blue (#003594) and Pitt Gold (#FFB81C). Pitt's brand standards define 15 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 Pitt colors
Blue and gold have long been Pitt's colors; the university's own history notes that the panther was chosen as mascot in 1909 partly because its coat resembled the gold in Pitt's "blue and old gold." In recent decades athletics used navy blue and gold, which the athletic department said looked too similar to rivals such as Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. In April 2019 Pitt returned to royal blue and bright gold, a reinterpretation of the colors introduced under football coach Johnny Majors in the 1970s and worn by the 1976 national championship team. The university brand now names Pitt Royal and Pitt Gold as its primary colors.
Sources: 225.pitt.edu · cbsnews.com · utimes.pitt.edu · triblive.com · pittsburghpanthers.com · brand.pitt.edu
Photo: RealNordyNed, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Crazypaco, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Crazypaco, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pitt primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitt Royal Blue | #003594 | 0, 53, 148 | 100, 75, 0, 6 | PMS 661 C | |
| Pitt Gold | #FFB81C | 255, 184, 28 | 0, 31, 98, 0 | PMS 1235 C |
Pitt secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Sky | #DBEEFF | 219, 238, 255 | 12, 2, 0, 0 | — | |
| Gray | #C8C9C7 | 200, 201, 199 | 21, 16, 18, 0 | — | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — | |
| Medium Blue | #00205B | 0, 32, 91 | 100, 85, 5, 36 | — | |
| Bronze | #B87333 | 184, 115, 51 | 16, 63, 100, 3 | — | |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | — |
Additional Pitt palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Haze | #FFE939 | 255, 233, 57 | 2, 3, 88, 0 | — | |
| Light Blue | #66B2E3 | 102, 178, 227 | 56, 15, 0, 0 | — | |
| Light Green | #00AD6E | 0, 173, 110 | 80, 3, 78, 0 | — | |
| Orange | #F7911E | 247, 145, 30 | 0, 52, 100, 0 | — | |
| Infrared | #FF5B45 | 255, 91, 69 | 0, 79, 74, 0 | — | |
| White Peach | #FFDECD | 255, 222, 205 | 0, 15, 16, 0 | — | |
| Merlot | #770538 | 119, 5, 56 | 36, 100, 58, 37 | — |
Matching Pitt colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Pitt'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 Pitt's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 985 styles close to Pitt Royal Blue, 325 styles close to Pitt Gold.
Clothing in Pitt Royal Blue #003594
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Pitt Royal Blue, measured from the garment itself. 985 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Pitt Gold #FFB81C
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Pitt Gold, measured from the garment itself. 325 matching styles in stock.
Pitt colors: frequently asked questions
What are Pitt school colors?
University of Pittsburgh's school colors are Pitt Royal Blue (#003594) and Pitt Gold (#FFB81C).
What is the hex code for Pitt Royal Blue?
Pitt Royal Blue is #003594 (RGB 0, 53, 148, CMYK 100, 75, 0, 6).
What is the hex code for Pitt Gold?
Pitt Gold is #FFB81C (RGB 255, 184, 28, CMYK 0, 31, 98, 0).
What Pantone color is Pitt Royal Blue?
Pitt Royal Blue is PMS 661 C.
What Pantone color is Pitt Gold?
Pitt Gold is PMS 1235 C.
Why are Pitt's colors Pitt Royal Blue and Pitt Gold?
Blue and gold have long been Pitt's colors; the university's own history notes that the panther was chosen as mascot in 1909 partly because its coat resembled the gold in Pitt's "blue and old gold." In recent decades athletics used navy blue and gold, which the athletic department said looked too similar to rivals such as Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. In April 2019 Pitt returned to royal blue and bright gold, a reinterpretation of the colors introduced under football coach Johnny Majors in the 1970s and worn by the 1976 national championship team.
Color values are taken from the official University of Pittsburgh brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Pittsburgh. 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.