Your current NDSU apparel is on a fast track to becoming NDSU memorabilia within the next few months. North Dakota State made an announcement March 26 citing “marketing reconstruction,” to be the cause of a change in school colors from green and gold to black and red.
Bison fans, students and retailers across the state of North Dakota are in a state of shock and confusion today after President Dean L. Bresciani announced that students and Bison fans will no longer bleed green and gold.
NDSU’s official colors, Pantone Green 342 and Pantone Yellow 123, are being switched out for a deep Pantone Red 185 C and classic Pantone Black 19-3909. What is the reasoning behind this severe shift in color scheme?
A statement from the university attributed the abrupt change to a shift in “aesthetics in regard to the university’s image.” The idea is to create a bolder, more masculine school image.
Art student Rachelle Kean explained her viewpoint on the color change, “Red is a symbol of power and passion. I guess it makes sense. We’ve won six FCS championships so it’s not that surprising that the university would want to match its image with its success.”
The switch will affect all licensed and unlicensed NDSU apparel, but will not affect the beloved athletic mascot, department logos or student organizational logos.
The change will have a dramatic effect on the NDSU bookstore as well as every other department and organization on campus. The university will be putting millions of dollars into new athletic uniforms and work attire, along with a makeover of the Dome and the SHAC.
“It’s devastating, honestly. I don’t think I’ll be able to support any other colors,” NDSU senior Kaci Longtin said.“We’ve been wearing the same green and gold apparel for the past four years, and I honestly don’t think that I’ll feel comfortable wearing anything else.”
Many other students have expressed concerns about the financial and emotional toll this will take on college students across campus.
Students will be forced to shop at the NDSU bookstore for all of their NDSU merchandise needs, for the time being.
Most buyers within Fargo’s retail scene have already purchased next season’s green and gold garb, meaning that the bookstore will be forced to deal with an outrageous volume of orders within the next few months since the bookstore is already being restocked with the newly changed color apparel.
Third-year student Jessi Johnson expressed her concerns about the color change and her future at NDSU, “I’m really upset about it. I’m going to be a senior next year and I truly won’t have anything to wear to the football games or any other school event. We’re college kids, which means that we don’t have a ton of extra money to spend on new school apparel. I think we should boycott the color change.”
Many students, faculty and fans plan to boycott the color change while others who have always hated wearing green and yellow are embracing it. Although uproar is approaching as President Dean L. Bresciani accidentally leaked the newly written Bison song, which no longer incorporates NDSU’s statement piece of green and gold.