UNC, Nike Pick One Blue, Update Sports Logos

Posted on April 21, 2015

Carolina has long been known for its distinct logos and its signature blue. But over the years, not everyone has agreed on what that shade of blue should be.

In partnership with Nike, UNC’s Department of Athletics has refreshed its marks and colors to create a consistent look across its sports program.

Beginning this fall, all 28 varsity sports teams will showcase consistent colors, logos, lettering and numerals. The change will expand to all UNC sports in the upcoming seasons.

To ensure consistency, Carolina is introducing a new primary logo, which will be used by all of the University’s sports teams. The interlocking NC logo, which dates from the 1800s, has been rebuilt to balance its size and scale.

In addition, the argyle pattern — which has been used primarily on the men’s basketball uniform since 1991 — is being adopted as a secondary identity for use by all teams.

The use of Carolina blue at UNC dates from 1795, when the University’s dialectic (blue) and philanthropic (white) debating societies chose their representative colors. When football became popular in the 1890s, the Carolina football team adopted Carolina blue and white as the school’s colors.

UNC and Nike collaborated on the brand evolution program over 18 months, consulting with students who are athletes, coaches, administrators and alumni to gather insights on key attributes of the institution.

To complement the primary colors of Carolina blue and white, all 28 sports will have navy blue, black and metallic silver included in a secondary color palette.

“We are excited to once again partner with Nike, one of the most recognizable brands in the world, to help us refresh and refine our marks and logos,” said Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham. “The changes are subtle, but they celebrate our history and create consistency as we further seek to distinguish our brand. This is our blue, and we’re proud of it.”

For more about the history of Carolina blue, see the Carolina Alumni Review’s July/August 2002 cover story, “A Blue by Any Other Name …”, available at alumni.unc.edu/CARarchive.

For more about the new changes, visit goheels.com or bit.ly/1Pb8Vr4 and bit.ly/1J6skc4.

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