Baylor University’s athletics and institutional identity is anchored by the interlocking “BU” mark, a design with roots on campus dating back more than a century. In 2019, Baylor unified its entire university, including all athletic programs, under this single primary logo as part of the “Baylor United” brand initiative developed in partnership with Nike’s Graphic Identity Group.[1]
Design and History
The interlocking BU first began appearing in various forms at Baylor more than 100 years ago, with the earliest known definitive example dating to the early 20th century. The mark began officially appearing on athletic uniforms in the late 1950s.[2] Before the 2019 unification, Baylor Athletics had used the interlocking BU as its primary mark while the university itself used a separate institutional logo featuring a silhouetted statue of founder R.E.B. Baylor in front of Pat Neff Hall, a mark in use since 2008.[3]
On April 13, 2019, Baylor Athletics unveiled the updated visual identity at McLane Stadium ahead of the spring football game. The event was the culmination of a nearly 18-month process with Nike’s Global Identity Group.[4] The updated interlocking BU received minor adjustments, adding smooth outer edges and an inner chisel that resembles a bear claw.[3] The preferred use is a single-color mark of green, gold or white.[3]
Prior to the 2019 refresh, Baylor teams competed in a variety of five different greens and three different golds, with more than 20 variations of the interlocking BU and Baylor wordmark in use on uniforms and campus facilities.[4] The rebrand unified all 19 sport programs under consistent green and gold color schemes.[3]
The bear has served as Baylor’s mascot since 1914, when the student body voted to adopt it over rivals including the buffalo, antelope, frog and ferret.[5] Several bear logos have been used over the decades. A logo popularly known as Sailor Bear was created in the 1950s by a former Disney employee who offered similar designs to schools with bear mascots.[6] A more lifelike Growling Bear debuted in 1969 and remained in use until 1997, making it the longest-lasting bear logo.[6]
In 1997, Baylor introduced a new green bear logo created by SME Design of New York, which had also designed logos for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Hawks.[7] That mark was replaced in 2005 by a new identity system created by Rickabaugh Graphics of Columbus, Ohio, which included a new bear head and paw. The 2005 marks replaced the green bear introduced in 1997.[8] This bear, used from 2005 to 2019, was part of the athletics identity until the Nike-led redesign.[6]
In 2019, the bear logo received a redesign as the secondary identifying mark for the athletics department. Drawing from previous variations, the refreshed mark added intensity to the eyes and widened the open mouth of the bear.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Baylor’s official colors trace to 1897, when a student committee selected green and gold after a student traveling by train was struck by green fields covered with spring dandelions.[9] The university’s signature colors are Baylor Green, signifying academic growth, renewal and hope, and University Gold, symbolizing excellence, courage and compassion.[9]
The bear claw motif appears in the updated interlocking BU through an inner chisel fashioned to replicate the tip of a bear claw.[4] The bear itself has been Baylor’s mascot since 1914.[5]
Typography and Design
The 2019 Baylor United launch introduced a custom brand font and numeral system for athletics, developed alongside the updated marks.[4] The new font featured notches within the letters representing bear claws and was more rounded and less blocked out than the previous font.[10] The Baylor University wordmark received only minor updates as part of the brand transition.[3]
Official brand colors are specified as Baylor Green (PMS 3435, HEX #154734) and University Gold (PMS 1235, HEX #FFB81C).[9]
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