Oregon State Working On Rebranding Effort With Nike; New Logo Expected Fall '13

The Oregon State Univ. athletic department is "in the middle of rebranding" in collaboration with Nike, and while the entire project does not have a completion date, the plan is to "debut the rebrand -- which is thought to involve a new logo -- sometime in fall 2013," according to Lindsay Schnell of the Portland OREGONIAN. OSU AD Bob De Carolis said the rebrand's goal is to explore "potential new options for how we might be able to improve the marketing of our programs." He added, "The review will look at all parts of the identity package from color schemes to the OSU font and Beaver logo." Nike VP/Innovation Design & Special Projects Tinker Hatfield said, "We wouldn't attempt to rebrand Alabama or Texas or Miami, for example, because they're already super strong and visible. But other schools -- the University of Oregon has been one in the past, and now Oregon State -- would love to improve their success rate in recruiting all students, and that can happen with rebranding." When he proposed a rebrand three years ago, Hatfield said that OSU "was hesitant to change." Schnell writes, "Billed as a unique, interlocking-system, the 'OS' brand in 2007 was designed to distinguish Oregon State from the 'other' OSUs of the world, most notably Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University." With the '07 rebrand came a "streamlining of all Beaver sports, which meant the same font could be found in all OSU athletics marketing, from posters to jerseys." Though meetings "have been in the works for months, Nike and Oregon State officials are tight-lipped on the details." Rumors of "going with a 'throwback theme' have popped up on message boards" (Portland OREGONIAN, 9/14).

KNIGHT & DAY: RIVALS.com's Brandon Helwig reports the Univ. of Central Florida's athletics logos "are being streamlined." There were "more than a dozen variations when the new look was introduced in May 2007 and that's led to a lack of uniformity in merchandising and branding." There will be "two primary logos and two secondary logos" going forward. Other versions "will be phased out." UCF VP & AD Todd Stansbury said that the "stacked" UCF logo featured on football helmets "would serve as a primary logo as well as the 'across' UCF logo, which is currently seen on the front of several jerseys, including those for basketball." Stansbury "did not elaborate on which two logos would serve as secondary marks, though presumably the 'Knight head' logo would remain in some fashion" (RIVALS.com, 9/14).