Arizona Colors History
The UA’s first school colors were sage green and silver – sage in reference to the indigenous sage bush and silver symbolizing the state’s mining industries. In 1898, an editorial in the school newspaper declared, “We think those colors well chosen, as they show originality and individuality.”
The November 1900 issue ran an editorial suggesting that the combination of sage green and silver had "outgrown its usefulness." The writer asserted that school colors should produce a decorative college pin, flag or varsity sweater and the sage and silver failed to do so.
The December 1900 issue reported that a committee had been selected to review school colors and ultimately the students almost unanimously adopted cardinal red and navy blue as the new school colors.
