Albany Great Danes Logo PNG
Meaning and history
The Great Danes are the athletics teams of the University at Albany, SUNY. Their visual identity combines the letter A with Damien, the Great Dane mascot. UAlbany adopted the Great Danes nickname in 1965 after a campus contest; Kathy Earle won a $25 savings bond for the suggestion, replacing the earlier Pedagogues identity, according to UAlbany’s account of the nickname’s history.
1993 – 2002
This archive stage shows a large A divided into purple and gold, with “Albany” across its center. UAlbany’s 2023 athletics brand guide dates the Split-A lineage to the program’s 1999–2000 Division I transition, so the archive’s 1993 label should not be read as a verified introduction date. The mark’s bold letterform differs from the mascot-led designs that followed.
2002 – 2013
The logo shown here pairs a standing cartoon Great Dane with large, slanted “Great Danes” lettering and a smaller University at Albany line. SportsLogos.net reports that the cartoon Damien mark appeared as an alternate in 2001. Its dog illustration gives the identity a more characterful look than the earlier monogram.
2013 – 2020
This stage image shows an arched “UAlbany” wordmark over a block A, a simpler letter-based treatment than the cartoon mark. SportsLogos.net reports a 2008 update to the cartoon Damien’s collar tag; it does not establish this image as a redesign from that year. UAlbany’s 2023 brand guide says the Display Split-A was retired in July 2020.
2020 – 2023
On July 22, 2020, UAlbany Athletics launched a new identity led by the Damien Head: a front-facing Great Dane in gray with purple shading and a gold collar. This stage image places the head above a geometric UAlbany wordmark. UAlbany credited VIP Branding with the design, and its identity standards identify Furore as the typeface used for the wordmarks and letter mark. The launch announcement also described an Empire State Capital mark and other supporting graphics (UAlbany Athletics; athletics identity standards).
2023 – Today
The image shows the Damien Head without the wordmark used in the preceding stage. UAlbany’s January 2023 brand guide specifies the Damien Head as the primary mark, and the athletics identity standards identify it as the primary symbol. The documented identity therefore continues the 2020 design rather than introducing a distinct 2023 replacement (2023 UAlbany Athletics Brand Guide; UAlbany Athletics identity standards).
Colors and identity
UAlbany’s athletics palette includes UAlbany Purple (PMS 269 C, #46166b), UAlbany Gold (PMS 124 C, #eeb211), and Gray (PMS 429, #a2aaad), with white and black also listed in its standards. The Damien Head brings these colors together in a compact mascot mark, while the Split-A makes the letter itself the focal point. UAlbany’s identity standards provide the color specifications.
View the Albany Great Danes logo archive entry.
Disclaimer
This article is part of the educational resources provided by Logo Index, an independent archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. Albany Great Danes and associated trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective rights holders where applicable.
