For Duke and Kentucky, There’s Blue and Then There’s Blue, According to Pantone

If Duke and Kentucky meet in college basketball’s national championship game, will you root for Pantone 286 or Pantone 287?

The official color for each school is blue. But there is a difference, however slight.

Describing and defining shades of blue may feel like a vague concept, but in fact colors can be precisely classified by the Pantone Matching System. The method, developed by a company based in Carlstadt, NJ, is used by printers, designers and others to ensure consistency of color. It categorizes about 2,000 shades.