NCAA - Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Tech Committee Addresses Official Colors Issue

By Sriram Narasimhan
Senior Staff Writer
ATLANTA
November 1, 2002

Although Tech's popular Ramblin' Wreck fight song played against its athletic opposition may make references to just two official school colors, white and old gold, the student body may soon be able to sport navy blue as well.

An ad-hoc Colors Committee, the members of which were appointed by President Wayne Clough this past August, was formed due to increasing concerns from alumni that there was no set standard on the specific colors displayed on the uniforms of the athletic teams, band and cheerleaders. Although white and gold were shown together on most of the uniforms, there was no definitive statement on the exact trim, or neutral color, which is often added on the uniform to complement the two primary colors. Some teams often use blue while others resort to black.

"There were a lot of logistics issues. Tech had gold and white, but most schools have white as an assumed [color] and also dark and light colors," said Don Chapman, Colors Committee Chair. "Those were complicated issues to deal with."

Furthermore, students from various alumni-sponsored focus groups commented on the lack of a rigid color scheme on the uniforms, school apparel, and other Georgia Tech-related goods.

"For the longest time I thought the school colors were yellow and black; you look at the fans and you don't see any consistency-you see white, black, navy, gold, yellow, etc.," said were typical comments hear in focus group discussions.

The committee, therefore, had the unprecedented task of investigating the historical significance of the school colors, listening to athlete input, and finally drafting a proposal of its decision, which would then await approval by the Athletic Board, which Clough chairs, the Athletic Association, and the Alexander Tharpe Board.

After several meetings and consultations with the Alumni Association, as well as perusal of decades-old alumni publications, the committee learned that this was not the first time navy blue had been promoted as one of the three school colors. In fact, it was the classes of 1891 and 1892 who had originally selected white, old gold and navy blue as the official colors. This fact soon prompted the committee to recommend using solely those three colors on all athletic apparel.

"In the past, we always had a certain percentage of predominant and trim colors on uniforms. But there was no historical perspective on that," said Chapman.

In fact, the recommendation was already unanimously approved by the Athletic Board Oct. 21. The Athletic Association has yet to officially approve it, but is currently working with the Russell Corporation to select the official shades for all three colors, denoted through Pantone Matching System (PMS) rating numbers. The AA is anticipating a formal meeting this December to vote on the proposal presented by the committee, according to Mr. Dave Braine, director of the Athletic Association.

A final decision to adopt the colors would have several implications. The most apparent would be the gradual move to use the three colors on all athletic, band and cheerleader apparel. Although this would restrict the number of colors that can be used to just three, teams and coaches can still choose to design their uniforms in any arrangement they want, whether with a predominately gold or a predominately blue fit. For many athletes, the decision to incorporate navy blue is being regarded as a good decision.

"It's better for us when you have navy blue on the uniforms," said Kirin Kumar, a member of the women's softball team. "You often can't see the gold mixed with the white. The blue will bring some color."

Because of financial considerations, the policy will not go into effect until September 2004. However, the good news is that many of the uniforms are currently in compliance already.

Additionally, as soon as the PMS color shade ratings are determined, the campus bookstore will receive a copy as well, which it plans to utilize for future merchandise.

This article was taken from www.gatech.edu.  All rights reserved.