Which College Team Colors Go Best Together and Why?

Do you want to celebrate school spirit? A super-easy way to do so is by wearing your university’s official colors. While you can buy college apparel online, you may want to make something unique. Knit or crochet hats, scarves, and gloves in your school colors! There are many cool color combinations. Here are a few of the best college team colors out there.

1. Louisiana State University

Louisiana used to have gray uniforms, but then Tigers coach Charles Coates changed it up with purple and gold. These two colors look great together because they are close to the complementary colors purple and yellow (gold has undertones of yellow).

If you remember color theory in school, complementary colors sit opposite from one another on the color wheel. When complementary colors are mixed, they produce a gray color. However, when they are put side by side, they create a great contrast that is visually pleasing.

In fact, there’s a science behind this effect. Complementary colors simultaneously stimulate different photoreceptor cells in your eyes; so, they not only do they balance each other out, they make each other pop!

2. University of Wisconsin

Here’s another color theory lesson: contrasting values—like a light color on a dark background—tend to go well together. Value is different from the hue. While hue is a given color, like blue or green, value is the relative lightness or darkness of that color. For example, garnet is red with a darker value while salmon is red with a lighter value.

If you have two colors that are the same value, they may not look that great together. But if you add more tints or more shades to one color, it can make the other stand out. Wisconsin University’s colors are great in terms of value because you’ve got a dark cardinal red value over the tinted white.

3. University of Oregon

Oregon’s colors are green and yellow. These colors are part of the analogous color group or three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. The third color that connects the two together is a green-yellow.

Analogous color schemes are often found in nature, and they have a cohesive look. In fact, a lot of interior designers use analogous color schemes to tie a room together.

If you wanted to enhance a school’s analogous colors use a third transition color, like green-yellow, to tie the two main colors together.

As you can see, while some colors may go better than others, ultimately it comes down to celebrating your school’s spirit. Not seeing your school listed above? Here’s a list of popular school team colors that go well together:

• University of Michigan: blue and yellow
• Michigan State University: green and white
• Ohio State University: red and grey
• University of Alabama: crimson and white
• Louisiana State University: purple and gold
• Clemson University: orange and purple
• Kansas State University: purple and white
• University of Iowa: black and gold
• Auburn University: blue and orange
• University of California, Los Angeles: blue and gold
• University of Southern California (USC): red and gold
• University of Arizona: blue and red
• University of Connecticut: blue and white
• Penn State University: blue and white
• University of Central Florida: black and gold
• Kent State University: blue and gold
• University of Georgia: red and black
• University of Wisconsin: red and white
• University of Arkansas: white and red
• University of Oregon: green and yellow
• University of Miami: green and orange
• North Dakota State University: green and gold
• Portland State University: green and white
• University of Alaska – Anchorage: green and gold
• Texas A& M University: maroon and white
• Michigan State University: green and white
• Western Michigan University: brown and gold
• Central Michigan University: green and gold