Could UTSA Have Bled Fiesta Red?

The official colors of UTSA have always been orange and white, with a blue accent added to the mix on the recommendation of the Student Representative Assembly. According to UT System Board of Regents Rules & Regulations, “The official colors for the U. T. System shall be orange and white; provided, however, that an institution may adopt one additional color [emphasis added; note that the rules in December 1975 read simply “other colors”] to be used in connection with athletic and other activities of the institution when approved by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the president of the institution, the appropriate Executive Vice Chancellor, and the Chancellor.”

Click image to enlarge Apparently, though, the school colors were up for discussion in August 1975, as the document to the left suggests. In this document, written by an unknown author and entitled “Proposed Colors for the University of Texas at San Antonio,” the following is suggested:

Fiesta red and cactus green.
Red and green from the flags of the Alamo and of Mexico.
Fiesta red for joy of living and learning.
Cactus green for thorny situations to be faced with courage and realism.
Orange tint in fiesta red from The University of Texas at Austin.
Blue tint in cactus green from the Texas and American flags, blended with the green of the Alamo and Mexican flags, to represent the University of Texas at San Antonio as a meeting ground for the cultures of the area.

Attached to the proposal is a response from Vice President for Business Affairs Everett Mahon to President Peter Flawn: “Dr. Flawn, This is the next best suggestion I’ve heard to Orange and White. Being a UT Austin Ex, I guess I have an ingrained preference. However, sounds pretty good. EM.”

University rules prevent me from manipulating the UTSA logo to do a red/green mock-up, but having done one anyway for my own amusement, I do believe orange, white, and blue was the way to go!

The UTSA roadrunner logo, unveiled in 2008.