Michigan Colors: The Maize-Blue Legend of the Wolverines Palette

June 6, 2025

When we think of Michigan Colors, the legendary duo of “dark navy blue seriousness” and “lemon yellow energy” immediately comes to mind: Michigan Blue and Maize.

Think about it, they've been hanging out together on campus since the 1800s; one like a professor in a tie, the other like a cheerleader constantly jumping up and down shouting, “Let's go to the game!”

The brand guide also includes a few close friends alongside these colors: the nostalgic Tappan Red, the appetite-whetting Ross Orange, and the Wave Field Green that evokes the feeling of rolling on the grass… In short, the vibrancy of this palette can be seen everywhere, from Wolverine uniforms to university brochures.

Now, let’s first get to know these colors by their names and HEX codes, and then explore how each one makes a difference—from psychology to design—in an entertaining way. (We’ll cover the historical gossip about Michigan Colors in the next section, so don’t worry!)

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Michigan Blue — #00274C

This navy blue, reminiscent of the seriousness of the Victorian era, has been the university's cap and gown color since the 1860s. When paired with maize, it passes contrast tests with flying colors and is easily readable even on LED scoreboards.

Maize — #FFCB05

Named after Michigan's cornfields, the vibrant yellow color brightens up the stadium on its own, providing an 8:1 contrast on the dark navy blue background and making it a favorite for call buttons.

Tappan Red — #9A3324

Inspired by the bricks of Tappan Hall, built in 1894, deep red adds a nostalgic feel to brochures, while Wave Field Green completes the “campus picnic” feel when used side by side.

Ross Orange — #D86018

This orange, named after the business school, screams “make a decision” in presentation slides; when combined with Maize in golden-hour photos, it creates a natural Instagram filter effect.

Wave Field Green — #A5A508

Born from Maya Lin's grass waves, this green adds a “STEM adventure” flavor to engineering posters and easily slices through pies when used with Maize in data visualizations.

Taubman Teal — #00B2A9

The calm teal color, reminiscent of the spaciousness of glass-and-steel studios, combines with Maize icons in health-tech interfaces to create a “fresh yet sterile” atmosphere.

Rackham Roof Green — #75988D

This soft green, the patina of an oxidized copper roof, brings a touch of 1930s art deco to podcast covers while creating a pastel “library” palette with A2 Amethyst.

Arboretum Blue — #2F65A7

The medium-toned blue reminiscent of the Huron River offers a “slide break” color that stays cool from Michigan Blue to light Maize; when you gradient it to Wave Field Green, it gives a spring tour feeling.

A2 Amethyst — #702082

This shade, which pays homage to Ann Arbor's nickname “A2” and its purple flower festivals, creates a “like” explosion on social media when posted on Maize.

Matthaei Violet — #575294

Born from the shady purple flowers in the botanical garden, Matthaei Violet balances the solemnity of Michigan Blue with sweet melancholy as it carries the coolness of the evening into videos.

Last Words

Besides all these colors, there are moments in campus life when we say write paper for me.

While it is strongly discouraged to have the final output untouched by human hands, there are good tools to get the closest results to the argument in the research process and in the final output.
You can even create the necessary custom too for your research with tools like windsurf.

Related Palettes: University of Utah Colors, Temple University Colors

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