The Colorado Christian Cougars are the athletic teams of Colorado Christian University (CCU), a private Christian university in Lakewood, Colorado. The Cougars compete at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).[1] The university’s official athletic colors are blue and yellow.[1]
Design and History
The current primary athletic logo features the letters “CCU” along the bottom in an arch, written in white with a yellow border and a blue border outside that. Above the letters are the neck and head of a cougar depicted in yellow, tan, and blue. Behind the cougar, rising up out of the letters, is a mountain range depicted in blue and rimmed in white.[2] The university filed a trademark application for this mark in July 2024.[2]
The athletics department maintains a primary logo as well as secondary logo versions, all governed by official usage guidelines.[3] The athletics branding is one of only three approved alternative versions to the main university logo, alongside CCU Online and the Centennial Institute.[4]
The Cougars athletic identity operates within a broader university rebrand. In June 2018, Colorado Christian University announced a new university logo, its first in nearly 25 years, replacing a design adopted after Colorado Christian College became Colorado Christian University in 1989.[5] The new university mark was designed to honor the school’s heritage while embracing a modern and academic look.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2018 university logo was built around elements drawn from the official university seal. According to CCU President Dr. Donald W. Sweeting, the new logo “brings back into prominence the Word of God, the Cross of Christ, and Shield of Faith, as well as our University motto.”[5] The university’s magazine described the design as placing the Word of God in the center upon the Cross of Christ, which is laid upon the Shield of Faith.[6]
The athletics logo’s mountain range element reflects the university’s Colorado setting, while the cougar head references the Cougars nickname. The university’s motto, “Grace and Truth,” traces to the founding principles of Denver Bible Institute in 1914.[6]
Typography and Design
Official CCU brand guidelines specify that the university logo maintains a connection to the CCU seal but has been updated with a clean and modern look with fewer elements.[4] The athletics logo uses the “CCU” letters in an arched arrangement beneath the cougar and mountain imagery.[2] The university’s official brand guidelines govern the approved color palette and usage rules for all CCU marketing materials, including athletics applications.[4]
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