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The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land grant research university founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became a state. It is the flagship of the UT system and has more than 30,000 students.

Its orange is one of the most recognizable colors in college sports. Charles Moore chose orange and white on April 12, 1889, and after a brief dispute in 1892 they were dropped and reinstated a day later.

Logo history

• 1794: The university is founded.
• April 12, 1889: Orange and white are chosen as school colors.

This timeline lists only changes that a cited source confirms. Earlier or minor variants of the University of Tennessee mark that could not be dated from a primary or reputable source are left out rather than guessed.

Logo colors

The University of Tennessee palette in this draft has 2 recorded values. Tennessee Orange is #FF8200, which is RGB 255, 130, 0. Smokey is #58595B, which is RGB 88, 89, 91. Where a value comes from a redrawn vector rather than the owner’s own guide, check it against official files before using it in design work.

Values from the official UT brand site. One UT standards page gives Smokey Gray as #4B4B4B, so check which gray applies before production.

Typography

No typeface is recorded here.

Design context and usage rules

The brand site says Tennessee Orange must not be lightened, darkened or used in a gradient, and one color logos may only be Tennessee Orange or white.

FAQ

What is Tennessee Orange in hex?

FF8200.

When were the colors chosen?

April 12, 1889.

Can the orange be tinted?

No, per the brand site.

Sources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Tennessee
2. https://brand.utk.edu/
3. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UT_Knoxville_logo_center.svg

Logos shown are trademarks of their owners and are provided for identification and reference. To request removal, contact [email protected].