(Story courtesy of Southwestern University)
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Southwestern University revealed their much anticipated new athletic marks for the 2012-13 academic year.
The new design replaces the original Pirate athletic mark, created for the 2002-03 academic year, and consists of an updated design and a wider variety of logo options to represent the athletic department and 20 men’s and women’s sports.
Along with the Pirate word mark and the flag that Southwestern has become synonymous with, various elements of the main logo have been repurposed into completely new logos.
Through an extensive research process that began in September 2012, the Southwestern University Athletic Department and Creative Services team received feedback from coaches, administration and student-athletes while developing the updated logo. The refreshed logos maintain the equity Southwestern had acquired in the previous logo and holds strong to the Pirate black & gold colors while providing a more up-to-date look that expresses strength and ferocity and officially introduces grey as a tertiary, accent color.
"It is a new era for Southwestern Athletics,” shared Director of Athletics Dr. Glada Munt. “New sports, new facilities, new staff; what better time to unveil a new logo? We feel that the new logo reflects the dynamic direction of Pirate Athletics."
The new visual identity will be phased in through normal purchasing cycles with new uniforms, practice gear and accessories donning the new look this season. Southwestern will also debut a revamped southwesternpirates.com in the coming weeks featuring of the new logos. Merchandise with the new logos will be available through the Southwestern Athletic Department online store at southwesternmerchandise.com by mid-August. The campus bookstore will continue with the previous logo for the 2012-13 school-year and will transition to the updated version in the fall of 2013.
Southwestern has a rich history in intercollegiate athletics, dating back to 1884 when the Pirates competed in the first intercollegiate baseball game in the state of Texas on April 21 where Southwestern destroyed the University of Texas 52-12.
The Pirates continued to compete in baseball and added football in 1895, but officially entered intercollegiate athletics in 1908 and was a charter member of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA), which later became known as the Southwest Conference.
Click here to read the complete Southwestern Pirate athletic history
The Southwestern men’s soccer team will be the first to display the new logo in competition at home as they face Willamette University on September 1st at 7:00 pm.
