SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – At the first annual Cougar Nation Athletic (CNA) Awards banquet Sunday night, Spring Arbor University Athletics introduced a new branding system that will set the visual direction of Cougar Athletics for years to come. The rebranding also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Cougar athletics.
The new brand identity is exclusive to SAU Athletics and includes new primary and secondary marks, as well as custom typography and numbers.
“Our goal was to develop a complete and unifying brand identity that not only honors our rich tradition, but is a powerful representation of who we are and who we aspire to be,” said sports information director, Chris Bauman.
Conversations about the need for a rebranding effort, which would establish a unique identity for SAU Athletics and bring a consistent look across all of its teams, have been happening for the last few years. But, it was not until the recent partnership with BSN Sports and Nike, which helped inject a new excitement into Cougar Athletics, that the department decided to move forward.
“Going through a brand identity launch is a great opportunity for us to create a consistent and modern look that keeps us relevant and memorable,” commented Director of Athletics, Ryan Cottingham. “Chris Bauman and his team have done an outstanding job putting SAU Athletics in a position to excel through our redesign. We want our student-athletes to look good, feel good and play good!”
The creation of the new logos has been nearly a year in the making, involving many segments of the SAU community. Rickabaugh Graphics of Gahanna, Ohio, which has created or updated athletics brands for more than 70 universities, including Ohio State, Baylor, Texas and Connecticut, designed the new marks.
The redesigned logo and typeface will provide uniformity and a wider variety of arrangement and usage across all athletic materials, and the vigor and kineticism they evoke will provide fresh motivation and inspiration for new and current generations of Cougars well into the future.
Prior to 1967, Spring Arbor College was known as the Bluejays, but in a vote by the student body, a new mascot was chosen. The students favored Cougars because of Spring Arbor teams known for their peak physical condition and tenacity.
The new logo will be immediately implemented by the athletic department, along with all 19 SAU teams. The new marks will be featured on uniforms as early as this fall, while SAU will also begin phasing out the old logos on campus.
Along with the new brand, SAU is excited to unveil a revamped saucougars.com, which features everything fans need to follow the Cougars. SAU Athletics has also redesigned its online store, saucougarsgear.com, where fans can purchase their new gear starting Monday, May 8.
