Texas Tech University School Colors
Texas Tech University's school colors are Scarlet (#E90802) and Black (#000000). Texas Tech'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 Texas Tech colors
Texas Tech students adopted scarlet and black as the official college colors on March 15, 1926, at the same time choosing Matadors as the team name. The university explains the pairing as a matador's outfit: a scarlet cape over a black costume. The colors were already in use a few months earlier, when the first letterman's sweaters presented in January 1926 were scarlet with two black-outlined T's.
Sources: resources.swco.ttu.edu · ttu.edu
Photo: John McStravick, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Texas Tech primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet | #E90802 | 233, 8, 2 | 0, 100, 100, 0 | PMS 485 C | |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black C | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
Scarlet and Raider Red
Texas Tech's university Scarlet is #E90802 (PMS 485 C). Texas Tech Athletics uses a darker Raider Red, #C30020 (PMS 186), which is the red most licensed apparel is made to.
Texas Tech secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Gray (web only) | #EDEDED | — | — | — | |
| Dark Gray | #333333 | 51, 51, 51 | 0, 0, 0, 70 | PMS Cool Gray 11 C | |
| Medium Gray | #757575 | 117, 117, 117 | 13, 9, 10, 27 | PMS Cool Gray 5 C |
Texas Tech athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raider Red | #C30020 | 195, 0, 32 | 7, 100, 100, 4 | PMS 186 | |
| Rider Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Black | |
| Ghost White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | White | |
| Classic White | #F1F0D8 | 241, 240, 216 | 5, 2, 16, 0 | PMS 9060 |
Matching Texas Tech colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Texas Tech'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 Texas Tech's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 410 styles close to Scarlet, 1061 styles close to Raider Red.
Clothing in Scarlet #E90802
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Scarlet, measured from the garment itself. 410 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Raider Red #C30020
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Raider Red, measured from the garment itself. 1061 matching styles in stock.
Texas Tech colors: frequently asked questions
What are Texas Tech school colors?
Texas Tech University's school colors are Scarlet (#E90802) and Black (#000000). The official brand palette also includes White as a primary color, plus 7 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Texas Tech Scarlet?
Texas Tech Scarlet is #E90802 (RGB 233, 8, 2, CMYK 0, 100, 100, 0).
What Pantone color is Texas Tech Scarlet?
Texas Tech Scarlet is PMS 485 C.
Why are Texas Tech's colors Scarlet and Black?
Texas Tech students adopted scarlet and black as the official college colors on March 15, 1926, at the same time choosing Matadors as the team name. The university explains the pairing as a matador's outfit: a scarlet cape over a black costume.
Color values are taken from the official Texas Tech University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Texas Tech 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.