The Mercer Bears are the athletic teams of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The university’s athletics identity is built around a primary logo featuring the letter “M” with a bear head, a mark that has been in use since 1993.[1] The Bears compete in NCAA Division I athletics and joined the Southern Conference on July 1, 2014.[2]
Design and History
Mercer’s primary athletic logo, a bear head on an orange block letter “M,” has served as the program’s main mark since 1993.[1] This logo was preceded by an earlier athletic identity in use since the early 1980s.[3]
In June 2007, the Mercer University Athletics Department unveiled four new spirit marks designed to complement the existing logo rather than replace it. Athletics Director Bobby Pope stated at the time that the new marks offered more options and a collegiate look while the department was “not getting away from our traditional logo.”[3] The primary athletic logo introduced in 2007 features the letter “M” with a bear head, while secondary marks include the university name, the university name paired with the nickname, and a mark using the letters “MU.”[3] The University Relations Office at Mercer designed the logos, which are licensed.[3]
Mercer’s spirit marks are restricted to use by the university’s Athletics Department and sanctioned teams, spirit and student organizations, and may not be altered in any way.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bear mascot has deep roots at Mercer. According to the university’s student newspaper, The Mercer Cluster, the Bears became the unofficial mascot after a spectator at an 1892 football game against the University of Georgia reportedly called out, “Whence cometh that bear?” The student body voted to make the bear official in 1924, and the mascot was later named Toby in a 1949 contest sponsored by The Mercer Cluster.[5]
The university’s official colors are orange and black.[6] Mercer Orange is specified as PMS 716 C with the hex value #f76800.[7]
Typography and Design
Mercer University’s branding guidelines recommend specific typefaces for communications, including Rockwell Bold, Futura Book or Medium, and Minion Display for print headlines, and Gentona, Crimson Text, and Poppins for web use.[7] These recommendations apply to university communications broadly rather than to the athletic logo specifically.
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