The Angelo State Rams are the athletic teams of Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, competing in NCAA Division II as members of the Lone Star Conference. The university’s visual identity is managed through an official brand guide that describes its logos, colors and typography as registered trademarks of the institution. [1]
Design and History
The university’s primary mark is built around the “ASU” abbreviation in bold, italic letterforms. The most distinctive element is a stylized ram horn that rises out of the “U” and sweeps back around the “S,” drawn in blue and yellow. [2] The horn’s yellow curve sits behind the “S” and overlaps the left stem of the “U.” [3]
Two versions of the primary mark exist. Version one places “Angelo State University” underneath the logo and is referred to as the full logo. Version two is the ASU logo on its own, known as the simple logo. The primary logo is intended for stationery, business cards and letterhead. [4]
The Ram Head serves as a secondary mark to the main logo and may be used on items such as clothing. It must always appear with the words “Angelo State” or “Angelo State University,” or have strong reference to Angelo State in another way. The brand guide notes that the Ram Head is not a “U” and should not replace the U in words or designs. [5]
In 2020, the Angelo State logo drew national attention when the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL unveiled a new logo that fans and media outlets noted bore a strong resemblance to the Angelo State mark. Observers pointed to the similar blue and yellow colors and the comparable multi-colored horn pattern at the end of the logo text. [6] [7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The ram imagery reflects the university’s mascot and its ties to the region. Angelo State’s live mascot, Dominic, is a purebred Rambouillet ram, a breed closely associated with West Texas sheep ranching. The university describes Dominic as “a proud symbol of Angelo State University and the institution’s ties to the region and its people.” [8]
The Ram’s Head hand sign is also incorporated into the university’s official logo, with the stylized horn rising out of the “U” in “ASU.” [2]
Typography and Design
The brand guide specifies that the primary logo should appear in two solid colors, with the horn rendered as a distinct graphic element. [4] The university’s official colors are blue and gold. [1]
The brand guide also includes usage restrictions. Angelo State marks must never be used alongside the color maroon or in a maroon and gold color combination, nor with an image of a devil, a sunburst or a pitchfork. [9]
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