The Fort Lewis Skyhawks are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. The program competes in NCAA Division II as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, with official colors of dark blue, light blue, and gold.[1]
Design and History
Fort Lewis College adopted the Skyhawks nickname and mascot in 1994, replacing the Raiders identity that had been used since 1962. Prior to that, during the junior college era from 1929 to 1962, teams competed as the Beavers (1929-1933) and Aggies (1933-1962).[2]
On July 19, 2012, Fort Lewis College unveiled a new primary and secondary Skyhawk logo at a press conference on campus.[2][3] The logos were designed by Dan Price, president of Adrenalin, Inc., a branding firm whose prior work included logos for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network, and Invesco Field at Mile High. Price had also helped create logos for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche before founding Adrenalin.[2]
Fort Lewis College Director of Athletics Gary Hunter explained the motivation for the redesign, stating that the previous logo “was a bit corporate-looking and dated for an athletic department image” and that the department wanted “something that was more vibrant and aggressive.”[2]
The rollout of the new logos was planned to occur over several years to allow teams and staff to use up old stationery, budget for new uniforms and equipment, and make facility changes.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
Carol Smith, Fort Lewis College’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, described specific symbolic elements embedded in the 2012 logo. The “C” within the eye of the Skyhawk celebrates Colorado, reflecting the college’s status as Colorado’s public liberal arts college. The mountains depicted on top of the logo represent the mountains surrounding the Fort Lewis College campus.[2]
The feathers that make up the Skyhawk recall the college’s history, which traces its beginnings to a federal Indian boarding school. Fort Lewis College is today a leader in Native American higher education, and the feather motif acknowledges this heritage.[2]
In addition to the primary hawk-head logo, a cartoon Skyhawk targeting youth and students was introduced alongside the 2012 redesign, as was a new font for jerseys, team equipment, apparel, and souvenirs.[2]
Typography and Design
The college’s official colors became navy, gold, and light blue in 2001 with the adoption of new college and Skyhawk logos at that time.[2] The school’s color scheme had earlier changed from green and gold to blue and gold in the mid-1960s, shortly after the Raiders nickname was adopted.[2]
Fort Lewis College maintains separate logo usage guidelines for its institutional marks, which specify acceptable one-color usages with FLC blue (Pantone 288), black, or white, and note that metallic gold is appropriate for certain seal uses.[4]
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