Washington State Univ. AD Bill Moos yesterday introduced a department-wide brand and identity program. Football, basketball, baseball and volleyball players modeled new Nike uniforms for the '11-12 season. The gear incorporates new crimson and gray colors along with new lettering and numerals that will be identical across each uniform. A brand and identity standards manual that provides guidelines for the appropriate use of logos was distributed during the event (WSU). The redesign "followed a yearlong effort between the WSU athletic department and Nike." The "highlight has to be the new football helmets, which feature a gray option to the school's traditional crimson" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/12). In Washington, John Blanchette notes there also will be a third football jersey next season, a "gray top with crimson numerals that were difficult for old eyes to make out from just a few feet away." The new "typography -- a custom typeface dubbed 'Cougar Bold' -- is distinctive for serifs on certain characters that borrow from the visual structure of the cougar-head WSU logo." Moos said before the redesign, "Our colors, our fonts, various uniforms, our letterhead -- we were all over the charts" (Spokane SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, 4/12). Moos added, "Our athletes wanted black (for the alternative football uniforms). I said, 'We're not quite good enough to wear black yet, OK? We're going to be'" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 4/12).
NEW SUN RISING: Arizona State Univ. today will reveal a new look for its athletic teams. FoxSportsArizona.com will provide live coverage of the unveiling at 2:00pm PT (THE DAILY). The school is "expected to ditch the Sparky mascot on the helmet for a pitchfork." ASU also is expected to "follow in the University of Oregon's footsteps and have multiple and futuristic colors" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/12).
