Although Colgate University's official school color is maroon, this has not always been the case. In 1868, 49 years after its founding, the university adopted blue and magenta as its official colors. Eighteen years later, in 1886, the colors were changed to maroon and orange. In just 14 more years, the school made the decision to drop the orange, when the Colgate University student association and faculty made maroon the official school color. The official color has remained maroon ever since.
As with most universities, the school color is a mark of school pride for Colgate University students. Students wear maroon to sporting events -- including games between the Colgate Raiders and their greatest rivals, Cornell University's Big Red.
In addition to school colors, Colgate University students have another rallying point, this one a bit more unusual: the number 13. Students and faculty consider the number lucky, quoting an unattributed school legend that Colgate was founded by 13 men with "13 dollars, 13 prayers, and 13 articles."
In 1932, Colgate University's sports teams were labeled the "Red Raiders," by legend a reference either to the team's ability to overcome its rival (Cornell University's Big Red) or to a story about the team's jersey colors blending in the rain to become a reddish color. With the nickname, they adopted a Native American mascot.
In the 1970s, Colgate changed its mascot from the potentially insensitive Indian to a hand holding a torch, but retained the "Red Raiders" name as a tribute to its colors. In 2001, the Board of Trustees officially dropped the "Red" appellation as well. Reasons cited included the intention of eliminating any hint of stereotype, and a desire not to harm recruitment efforts at high schools under pressure from the State Education Department to change mascots and nicknames with potential stereotypes.
Colgate University has two school songs: "Fight, Fight, Fight" and "Fight for the Team." While these songs are typically sung at sporting events, the University has additional songs directly referencing Colgate: "In Eighteen Nineteen" (which also references "thirteen men, thirteen prayers, and thirteen dollars"); "The Colgate Marching Song;" and "Old Colgate is the Place For Me."