Lindenwood Lions is the athletic identity of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. The university’s official athletic colors are black and gold, and its teams compete under the Lions nickname.[1]
Design and History
The Lindenwood athletics logo features a lion head paired with the Lindenwood wordmark in gold, black, and white. The university’s brand guidelines place athletics logos in a distinct category within the school’s logo hierarchy, separate from institutional, online, and legacy marks.[2]
In 2010, the athletics logo was updated, combining two previous shades of gold into a single new gold tone.[3] Around 2018, an alternate version was introduced featuring a centered, right-facing growling lion head with the Lindenwood wordmark on a black background.[4]
Lindenwood Athletics later introduced an update to some branded digital materials, incorporating the traditional lion head with a “One Roar” wordmark as part of a marketing campaign.[5]
In July 2025, Lindenwood launched updated brand guidelines and brand resources, which included new institutional and departmental logos, a refreshed secondary color palette, and new athletic team logos available through the university’s digital asset system.[6]
The university also maintains a separate Sibley Crest, a traditional crest style rooted in Lindenwood’s history, which is reserved for historical or ceremonial contexts and requires approval for use. The official university seal is limited to formal and legal documents.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Lions nickname dates to 1970, when men’s soccer coach Larry Volo proposed the name while sitting with athletes in front of Butler Hall, inspired by two lions at the building’s entrance. Players had previously suggested naming the team the Lobos.[8]
The black and gold team colors originated with a soccer goalie who helped start men’s athletics at the school in 1970. According to Glen Cerny, a player on Lindenwood’s first men’s basketball team, the colors were chosen because the goalie liked the colors of the Pittsburgh Pirates.[8]
Lindenwood’s brand story describes a “lion within” concept, framing the lion as a metaphor for latent potential, courage, and strength within each student.[9]
Typography and Design
Lindenwood’s brand guidelines specify that all approved fonts, logos, and images are accessible through the university’s digital asset management system, Asset Den, along with Creative Cloud Libraries and the Brand Resource Page. Official university logos, including athletics marks, are distributed through these platforms.[10]
Usage of athletic logos is restricted and requires permission from the Marketing Department or Athletics Department, and the athletics logo should never be used where it will be too small to read.[11]
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