Purdue Univ. yesterday released a “redesign of the iconic logo featuring the Boilermaker Special” and it was “met with mixed results,” according to Justin Mack of the Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER. Purdue Associate AD/Communications Tom Schott said that “officials have been working on the logo redesign with Nike for the past several months.” Schott: “The new logo was all part of the rebranding we did with Nike to unify all of the different sports teams. Right now softball has a different logo than baseball, and Purdue basketball has a different font than Purdue football. We're just trying to create a unified look for all of the teams." He added that the new logo “was made with clothing in mind.” Schott: "It looks really sharp when embroidered on a shirt. You can't really tell on the Internet or in print." Purdue apparel bearing the new logo “is already available at some online retailers.” Schott said the old logo "wasn't going anywhere" and that it would “still be available on fan apparel” (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 4/26). YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Eisenberg noted it is "hard to imagine the new logo would sell any better or worse than the old one," as all but the "most diehard Purdue fans are unlikely to notice there even is a new logo." However, a Big Ten Network poll notes 81% of Purdue fans "prefer the old logo" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/25).
