The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). The athletics department’s primary graphic is the Seawolf head logo, a mark reserved for use by UAA Athletics and its licensed vendors.[1]
Design and History
Before 1977, UAA teams were known as the Sourdoughs, with a logo featuring a smiling goldpanner. Basketball coach Bob Rachal led the switch to the Seawolves name after the Sourdoughs moniker drew ridicule outside Alaska.[2] Rachal researched the legends of Southeast Alaska tribes and found the Sea-Wolf, a totemic creature known as Gonakadet in the Tlingit tradition and Wasco by the Haida.[3]
The first Seawolf logo, used from 1977 through 1980, was designed to reflect the Tlingit art style and associated myth. Because the Seawolf’s shape was never precisely described in legend, observers thought it looked more like a lizard.[2] A second rendition appeared in 1980 and lasted five years. It lost the stylized Tlingit look, took on more realistic wolf characteristics, and incorporated a trailing wave of water to keep with the Seawolf mythology.[2]
The current logo was unveiled at the 1985 Athlete-of-the-Year Banquet. It evolved after UAA Athletic Director Ron Petro formed a study committee in 1984, which included student body representatives, faculty and coaches, to examine the logo issue. The committee sought proposals from Anchorage design firms, and the mark was designed by Clark Mishler Associates of Anchorage for $7,000, with approval from Chancellor David Outcalt.[2] The design returned to a simplified version using elements of the Tlingit art style.[2] The athletics department describes the mark as sleek and modern, yet still representative of the totemic tradition.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Seawolf identity draws from a mythical creature in Tlingit and Haida traditions that appeared to be half wolf, half sea creature. In one common version of the legend, a young man conquers the Sea-Wolf, dons its skin, and uses its strength and magical powers to fish for sea life, saving his village from starvation. The Sea-Wolf was also said to bring great luck and wealth to anyone fortunate enough to see it or hear its howl.[3]
Typography and Design
UAA’s official brand colors are green and gold. The university specifies UAA Green as Pantone 343 C and UAA Gold as Pantone 123 C.[4] The standard brand font is Roboto Condensed, a sans-serif condensed typeface.[4] UAA’s logo usage guidelines state that logos may only appear in green and gold, black, or white, and that the Seawolf logo must not be flipped or rotated.[5]
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