Tennessee orange, also known as UT orange, is a specific shade of orange used by the University of Tennessee athletic teams. The exact Pantone color for Tennessee orange has gone through a few iterations over the years as Pantone’s color matching system has been updated. Currently, the official Pantone color used by the university is PMS 151.
History of Tennessee Orange
The University of Tennessee traces its school colors back to the late 1800s when students requested the school’s colors be changed from iron gray and old gold to orange and white. Orange was chosen because it was a unique color not widely used by other schools at the time.
In 1968, the university decided to standardize the specific shade of orange by adopting Pantone 151, which was called UT Orange at the time. This allowed the university to have consistency in reproducing the exact matching orange color on uniforms, merchandise, signage, and more.
Here is a brief history of the Pantone colors used for Tennessee orange over the years:
| Year | Pantone Color |
| 1968 | Pantone 151 UT Orange |
| 2001 | Pantone PMS 159 |
| 2009 | Pantone PMS 151 |
In 2001, the university updated to a slightly different orange color, Pantone 159. However, in 2009 they decided to return to the original 1968 orange shade of Pantone 151. This color remains the official Tennessee orange today.
Pantone Color Matching System
To understand the Pantone color specified for Tennessee orange, it helps to understand how the Pantone matching system works.
Pantone is a standardized color reproduction system used primarily in the printing and graphic design industries. It allows designers, printers, and manufacturers to match specific colors exactly so that a color looks consistent across different materials and mediums.
The Pantone system includes a set of over 1,800 solid colored swatches along with corresponding numeric identifiers. For example, Pantone 151 refers to a specific orange color in the Pantone swatch guide. These swatches are made from printing inks blended to precise ratios.
The numeric Pantone codes allow printers and designers to accurately identify and reproduce colors from the Pantone swatches using the same ink formulas. This allows consistent color matching across production runs and between mediums like print design, plastic products, textiles, and more.
Specifications of Pantone 151
Pantone 151, the designated Tennessee orange, is a vibrant reddish orange color. Here are its technical Pantone color specifications:
| Name | Pantone 151 |
| CMYK Values | 0, 65, 91, 0 |
| RGB Values | 255, 90, 0 |
| Hex Color Code | #FF5A00 |
As shown, Pantone 151 is made up of 0% cyan, 65% magenta, 91% yellow, and 0% black ink in the CMYK 4-color process printing. This creates a bright, vivid orange shade.
The RGB values of 255, 90, 0 and hex code #FF5A00 indicate it displays as a very saturated reddish orange on digital screens as well.
Use of Tennessee Orange
The University of Tennessee has two official logos that feature the Pantone 151 orange – the Circle T logo and the Power T logo. These logos appear prominently on uniforms and apparel for Tennessee sports teams.
The school’s sports teams, most notably football and basketball, feature Pantone 151 orange prominently on their uniforms. The school’s football helmets are a bright orange featuring a white Power T logo. Basketball jerseys display orange prominently on either home white or away black alternate jerseys.
Tennessee orange is also an integral part of the game day atmosphere at sports venues like Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena. From the sea of orange fans wearing apparel to orange accents on walls, banners, and signage, Pantone 151 orange is an unmistakable presence.
Beyond sports teams, the university uses Tennessee orange as an accent color for school branding. It often appears on flyers, brochures, banners, and digital media. Overall, Pantone 151 orange has become synonymous with University of Tennessee pride and spirit.
Alternatives for Reproducing Tennessee Orange
For reproducing Tennessee orange, using genuine Pantone coloring with authorized Pantone 151 ink is ideal for accurate color matching. However, there are some alternative options:
If using the CMYK printing process, the CMYK values listed above for Pantone 151 orange can be used to match the color closely. The RGB and hex values can also be used to match the orange digitally on screens.
For non-commercial purposes, using a vivid orange paint color from craft or hardware stores can potentially achieve a decent match for Tennessee orange. Matching it against a Pantone swatch is recommended.
Using vinyl, dye sublimation, or other coloring methods for apparel and merchandising can also produce good reproductions of the orange when using the Pantone color values as guidance.
Overall, Pantone 151 remains the go-to for officially licensing and reproducing the classic Tennessee orange color. But alternative mixing methods can create close approximations when an exact Pantone match is not possible.
Cultural Significance of Tennessee Orange
For University of Tennessee fans and alumni, Tennessee orange carries deep cultural significance and meaning.
The shade invokes a strong sense of school spirit, identity, and community. For many fans, wearing the orange is like wearing team colors that unite people with a shared lifelong loyalty to Tennessee. It instills pride and solidarity around key traditions like football Saturdays in Neyland Stadium.
By adopting this distinct shade decades ago, the university created an iconic brand color that people strongly associate with Tennessee athletics and culture today. The sea of orange in a stadium full of cheering UT fans is a sight that leaves a lifelong impression on many.
For students and alumni, the orange often becomes part of their personal identity and heritage. As a result, the Pantone color becomes more than just a school color – it represents a sense of home, belonging, and community built around a shared university experience and orange-clad traditions.
Conclusion
In summary, Pantone 151 is the official Tennessee orange used by the University of Tennessee athletic programs. The shade was first adopted in 1968 as a standardized orange unique to UT. After a brief change to Pantone 159 in 2001, the school returned to the original Pantone 151 in 2009 which remains the official orange today.
This vibrant reddish orange shade with the specifications PMS 151, CMYK 0, 65, 91, 0 and RGB 255, 90, 0 has become synonymous with University of Tennessee school spirit and branding over the decades. For fans and alumni, it represents a shared identity, heritage, and community around a lifetime of traditions clad in the iconic Tennessee orange.
References
University of Tennessee Brand Guidelines:
University of Tennessee Knoxville Athletics Style Guide:
https://utsports.com/sports/2019/6/10/branding-style-guide-html.aspx
Pantone Formula Guide for Color Matching:
https://www.pantone.com/color-finder
