The Albany Great Danes are the athletic teams of the University at Albany, SUNY, competing in NCAA Division I athletics. The university’s official colors are purple and gold, and its mascot is Damien the Great Dane, a nickname chosen by the student body in 1965 to replace the previous mascot, a penguin called the “Pedwin.” [1]
Design and History
In July 2020, UAlbany Athletics unveiled a refreshed brand identity developed by VIP Branding, the design division of Varsity Brands. The work came through a five-year partnership with Under Armour and BSN SPORTS, and a campus committee gathered feedback from alumni, students, faculty and athletic staff during the design process. [2]
The new primary mark, called the Damien Head Mark, replaced a two-toned “A” with vertically arched lettering spelling “UAlbany” that had served as the previous primary logo. The new mark shows a gray, front-facing Great Dane head with purple shading and a gold collar. [3] The Times Union described the dog as “staring menacingly with his ears perked.” [4]
The 2020 refresh also introduced new wordmarks, a letter mark, and an “Empire State Capital Mark” highlighting the university’s location in Albany, New York. The identity system includes primary, secondary and tertiary marks, with the Damien Head Mark designated as the lead identifier for all uses including uniforms, publications, facilities and digital media. [5]
Prior to the 2020 refresh, the athletics program had used a cartoon version of Damien as an alternate mark since 2001. [3] The “Split A” logo, first introduced in 2004, had become the primary mark in later years before being retired in the 2020 rebrand. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Great Dane nickname was chosen by the student body in 1965 for the breed’s qualities of strength, speed and stamina, replacing the “Pedwin” penguin mascot of the New York State College for Teachers, the university’s precursor. The mascot was nicknamed Damien. [1] The university’s official style guide lists “Damien the Great Dane” (or “Damien” for short) as an official name, and prohibits the use of “Danes” or “Lady Danes” in official materials. [7]
Typography and Design
According to the official UAlbany Athletics Identity Standards, the UAlbany and Great Danes wordmarks were created from the Furore alphabet font. The letter mark, a secondary identifier, was also created from the Furore alphabet font. [5]
The official color palette for UAlbany Athletics is UAlbany Purple (PMS 269 C, Hex #46166b) and UAlbany Gold (PMS 124 C, Hex #eeb211), with white, gray (PMS 429) and black permitted in conjunction with the athletics brand. [5]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
