The Wildcat mascot dances on stage at the public library as the new logo is unveiled. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Hundreds of residents, Davidson College athletics officials and uniformed athletes gathered Saturday afternoon on the Village Green for the annual Fan Day – and the unveiling of a new design for the college’s Wildcat logo. The new logo resembles the previous one, which has been used since 1994. But it’s cleaner, more graphical and, college officials said, easier to reproduce.

A young fan studies the Wildcats' new "D" and paw print. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

The new design is part of a new family of designs that includes a Wildcat paw, a new standard Davidson “D” (a D with claw marks through it) and a custom typeface for the words “Davidson,” “Davidson College” and “Wildcats,” as well as slogans. The new designs will start showing up immediately around campus, on signage, uniforms, spirit wear and athletic program books.

On Monday, the Wildcat paw will be installed on the intersection of Concord Road and Baker Drive, the entrance to the college sports facilities.

It will not replace Davidson’s “institutional” mark – the word Davidson with a bar and diamond beneath it.

Previous logos, including the 1994 version at right.

WHERE THE LOGO CAME FROM

The new-look Wildcat is the ninth since Davidson became known as the Wildcats following a football game at Auburn in 1917.

New logos

Martin McCann, Davidson’s assistant athletic director for marketing and event management, said the college has long been considering the redesign. “There’s been talk for a number of years, maybe five years,” he said. The Wildcat men’s basketball team’s amazing run to the NCAA basketball tournament’s Elite 8 in 2008 “reinforced the fact that we needed to something.”

So last fall, Davidson appointed a committee of students, staff, alumni and coaches, and hired New York branding firm SME Inc. to plot a redesign. The logo was redesigned and then tested through focus groups and other market testing. In May, the final design was chosen. That gave the college time to ready new uniforms for some teams, spirit wear for public sale, and signage. The Belk Arena basketball court also has already been repainted.

Some college teams will get the new logo on their uniforms immediately and all will have the new logo on practice uniforms and travel gear this year. The new marks will appear on additional teams’ competition uniforms over the next two to three years as their teams get new uniforms, Mr. McCann said.

TIME TO REDESIGN

The college needed to redesign the logo in part because it was “graphically challenged,” men’s soccer coach Matt Spear said as he emceed Saturday’s Fan Day and prepared to unveil the new marks.

Mr. McCann said later that focus groups showed the old logo had strong recognition, especially after the basketball team’s 2008 NCAA run. “There was a lot of affinity for our old mark. But the old one didn’t duplicate very well in a number of applications,” he said. For example, it was extremely complicated for embroidery.

In a press release, Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy said: “Through the process, we found that our students, alumni and fans really have an affinity for and identify with our current logo, the cat with the diamond behind it, so we opted to continue along that evolutionary track to get our primary mark. I’m extremely happy with the results, and I think it will help us capitalize on the equity we have already built in our current brand.”

President Tom Ross said in the press release, “There are hundreds of thousands of people—locally, nationally, and all over the world—who care deeply about Davidson and who follow news about the college. Thanks to a number of things, including The Davidson Trust and the success of our student athletes, the college has achieved a new level of visibility in recent years. The college’s commitment to honor, integrity and excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena is stronger than ever. We hope that our new fans as well as those who have loved Davidson for years will embrace and enjoy the new spirit marks.”

Men’s basketball coach Bob McKillop also weighed in, saying he’s “thrilled” with the new marks. “They are clean, crisp, bright and exciting, and they hold true to the identity of Davidson. Our fans and alumni have such a strong connection to Davidson, and I think the new marks will further strengthen that bond.”

Saturday’s unveiling was part of the college’s effort to build excitement for the coming sports seasons. “It’s injected some new energy going into this year,” Mr. McCann said.

Apparel bearing the new look for Davidson athletics is on sale in Cats on Main, located at 131 Main Street, and the college’s on-campus bookstore.

More information: www.davidsonwildcats.com.