Cal State Monterey Bay Otters is the athletics identity of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), whose teams compete in NCAA Division II as members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The university opened in 1994 on the former Fort Ord military base, and its teams use the Otters nickname with Monte Rey Otter as the mascot. The athletics program unveiled a new logo, marks and colors at its annual Montes Award show on April 28, 2025. The new designs were created by Benjamin Mayberry, an Otter alum and former student-athlete who has worked on graphics for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland A’s, New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs, Leeds United and Real Madrid. Mayberry described the project as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to refresh the brand of the university that shaped his design career. [1]
Design and History
The 2025 athletics rebrand was positioned as a next step following the university-wide rebrand announced in April 2024. Athletic director Kirby Garry said the athletics rebrand was completed “to align with the university’s recent rebrand to showcase the campus connection between the university and its sports teams,” adding that athletics is “not separate” from the university. [2]
The university-level rebrand, unveiled April 4, 2024, introduced new logos, banners and the slogan “The Strength of Us.” Aaron Bryant, assistant vice president of Marketing and Communications, described the new university logo as “a simpler design that incorporates elements of the Monterey Bay region both in its use of color and a wave graphic.” He also noted that “the face of the otter mascot has also been reimagined and has a more appealing presence.” [3]
The 2024 rebrand followed a process that began in October 2023, when Red Cactus Marketing conducted focus groups to test potential new logos. At that time, Beatrice Szalas, principal and chief collaborator at Red Cactus, said the athletic logo and university seal would not change, nor would the mascot. Focus group participants suggested the existing logo “looks dated” and recommended removing the otter from the main university logo while emphasizing the “Otter Raft” concept. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The university’s official brand guidelines describe the core brand colors as Monterey Bay Blue (#31456b, Pantone PMS 540) and Ocean Blue (#6b92b6, Pantone PMS 542), with supporting colors including Valley Green, Valley Green Bright, Sunshine and Tangerine. The guidelines state these core colors should comprise about 85% of CSUMB-branded content. [5]
The 2024 university rebrand materials described the new logo as incorporating “elements of the Monterey Bay region both in its use of color and a wave graphic,” connecting the visual identity to the coastal setting of the campus. [3]
Typography and Design
CSUMB’s official brand typography uses Montserrat as the university’s primary brand typeface. According to the university’s brand guidelines, Montserrat was “chosen for its clean, open and modern qualities” and offers a wide range of font weights for clear visual hierarchy. Tahoma serves as the approved secondary typeface when Montserrat is unavailable, particularly in Microsoft Office applications. [5]
For the 2024 university rebrand, Bryant said “new lettering fonts and a stronger photo style will work to better tell the story of the university.” [3]
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