Mercy University, formerly Mercy College, fields its NCAA Division II athletic teams as the Mercy Mavericks. The athletic identity was introduced in 2007, when the school replaced its longtime “Flyers” nickname with “Mavericks” and unveiled a new horse-head logo to accompany the change.
Design and History
On May 15, 2007, Mercy College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Dr. Kevin T. McGinniss announced that “Mavericks” had been selected as the new mascot and nickname for the college’s 15 NCAA Division II programs. The administration reviewed suggestions from students and faculty members before settling on the new name.[1][2]
The new logos were designed by The Silverman Group, a firm based in New Haven, Connecticut. McGinniss credited Marc Jacobson and his team at The Silverman Group for capturing the college’s ideas during the design process.[1]
The primary mark features a horse head, a visual reference to the maverick nickname. The school’s colors, previously blue and white, were expanded to include gray as part of the new athletic identity.[3]
Mercy University’s current official school colors are listed as blue and white, and the mascot is identified as Maverick, also called “Mavie” or “Mav.”[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Mavericks nickname was chosen to represent the college’s independent spirit. The horse-head logo directly illustrates the maverick concept, which traditionally refers to an unbranded or independent animal, and by extension an independent-minded person.[1][3]
Typography and Design
Mercy University maintains a dedicated athletics brand asset package, including brand guidelines, fonts and wordmarks, available through the university’s branding resources page. The university also publishes a style guide covering logo variations, monograms, the university seal and official brand colors with RGB, CMYK and Pantone values.[5]
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