Tennessee orange vs. Texas burnt orange: A Pantone color expert weighs in on SEC debate

As the University of Texas exits the Big 12 and joins the SEC , it brings with it a debate that must be settled off the field this season: Which orange is better?

On one side is Tennessee Orange , the in-your-face calling card of the Volunteers. On the other side is Texas' burnt orange, the mellower (duller?) hue of the Longhorns.

Though Tennessee's foes like to hate on the Vols' brash color – loud enough to match the volume of 101,915 screaming fans in Neyland Stadium – there are advantages to monopolizing a controversial color.

"A bold and unmistakable color gives you a distinct and easily recognizable identity that enables you to stand out," Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute , told Knox News via email. "It also helps create a lasting impression and more easily build the association between the color and what it stands for."

Thanks to Pantone, the company known for choosing an annual color of the year , Tennessee and Texas can standardize their colors as Pantone 151 and 159, respectively.

But which is superior?

A burnt orange perfect for 'work clothes'

In the field of color psychology, orange signifies both vibrancy and abrasiveness. As color psychologist Jill Morton writes in her blog Color Matters , a darker orange like terracotta "may be more appealing to those who find orange difficult."

In the debate between Tennessee and Texas orange, it's hard not to see the Volunteer State's color as more unabashedly orange − a full-throated embrace of fire and vitamin C.

Before the reign of Longhorns coach Darrell Royal, Texas orange was a brighter shade that "fit a young and aggressive university," according to The Alcalde , the UT Austin alumni publication. Royal championed burnt orange in the 1960s for uniforms that he famously called "work clothes."

Tennessee Orange remains youthful, even though it was first selected in 1889 and the university is nearly 100 years older than its new SEC counterpart.

Tennessee Orange reflects team's playful identity

Pressman declined to pick which color she likes better, saying it all depends on context.

"Each college football stadium has a different look," Pressman said. "I would not say one color is more preferred than the other. It is all about the personality of the university and using a color that best fits what personality they are looking to express."

If color is a sign of what a university stands for, then burnt orange is all business. It's the hide of a work animal, a shade meant not to offend or overstep, a color concerned about likability.

Tennessee Orange belongs not just in a workplace, but in the stands on a Saturday. And it doesn't care if you like it.

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com .

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee orange vs. Texas burnt orange: A Pantone color expert weighs in on SEC debate