The Central Arkansas Bears are the athletic teams of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway, Arkansas. The university’s official colors are purple and gray, and its mascot is the Bear. The women’s teams are known as the Sugar Bears. UCA joined the ASUN Conference in July 2021 after having been a member of the Southland Conference. [1]
Design and History
UCA unveiled a new athletics logo on February 5, 2010, at a news conference in the board room of Wingo Hall. The timing coincided with the university’s transition to full NCAA Division I classification. The primary athletics trademark and various secondary marks were produced by The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company and approved by a steering committee made up of campus personnel, members of the Conway business community, the Purple Circle and the UCA Sports Hall of Fame. The UCA Board of Trustees approved the trademarks at its February 5 meeting. [2]
The initial conversation about producing a new UCA athletics logo began in 2008, due to licensing concerns, brand confusion with various logos represented by different sports and the need for a new, fresher trademark and new identity. The Joe Bosack company developed 10 logo options for review by the committee convened in the fall of 2008. That group narrowed the options to two in the spring of 2009, and a feedback session was held in the fall of 2009 with a larger group of constituents affiliated with UCA Athletics. [2]
The new logo drew some controversy on campus, with critics noting its similarity to other bear logos, particularly that of Brown University. Athletic director Brad Teague said the new logo was the school’s official trademark and was researched to not violate other trademarks. Teague also addressed a rumor that the redesign was prompted by complaints from the University of Kentucky about similarities between the old Bears logo and the Wildcats logo. He stated that Kentucky sent an official letter to UCA about 10 years earlier referencing similarities, but that neither school had acted on the issue at the time, and it was not a factor in the 2010 logo decision. [3]
The bear head mark introduced in 2010 was initially used as a secondary logo, with an arched “UCA” lettering above the bear head. In 2013, the football team retained this same logo on new helmets. [4] The mark featuring an arched “CENTRAL ARKANSAS” wordmark above the growling bear head, in purple, black and gray, was promoted to the primary logo in 2017. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bear head and bear paw are designated as spirit marks by the university, available for use to promote bear pride in University communications and promotional materials. University units are not allowed to create their own logos using the bear head or bear paw. [6] Athletic logos are reserved for use by the athletics department and should not be used to represent the University in administrative or academic applications. [7]
Typography and Design
The university’s official colors are purple and gray. The official purple is PMS 268 with HEX #582C83, and the official gray is PMS 430 with HEX #7C878E. [8] The current primary athletics logo features an arched “CENTRAL ARKANSAS” wordmark above a growling bear head rendered in purple, black and gray. [5]
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