Pop quiz, hot shot: Can you match Central New York's colleges to each color in the palette above? (Answers at the bottom. No cheating.)

National College Colors Day changes every year--in 2017, it's Friday, September 1st. The official holiday promotes college athletics (and obviously the merchandise and apparel that goes with it) and dates back to 2004 when it was launched by the College Licensing Company, now owned by IMG. Their slogan is United We Fan.

In the Mohawk Valley of Central New York, here are the most prominent colleges and colors you may see represented by students, alumni, and parents on College Colors Day and throughout the year. (The bold-faced sub-headlines below are all links to each college.)

Navy and orange, which of course makes sense because UC began as a satellite campus for Syracuse University (THE Orange), then became independent in 1995. Go Pioneers.

Maroon and white, with a splash of gray added in the 1970s. Colgate's primary color once was, believe it or not, orange until it was replaced by maroon in 1900. Go Raiders.

Their colors of Continental blue and buff, according to Wikipedia were "likely derived from the colors of the 1779 Continental Army's New York regimental coats," with the buff facing designed to resemble leather. The college's namesake (and future Broadway superstar), Alexander Hamilton, was President George Washington's chief of staff, and served on the board of trustees for an educational institution that later became Hamilton College. Go Continentals.

MVCC's teams train at the newly re-inflated "Hut" sports dome and wear green and gray. Go Hawks.

The perennial soccer powerhouse sports hunter green and gold uniforms. Go Generals.

SUNY Poly rocks blue, white and gold colors. Go Wildcats.

 

ANSWERS: The top two colors in the palette above represent Hamilton, the green square is used by MVCC and Herkimer, the maroon belongs to Colgate, and orange is used by UC and Syracuse.

BONUS VIDEO:

 

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