The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). The visual identity of the program centers on the Bulldog mascot, Champ, whose marks are reserved for athletics and general campus spirit. The university’s official brand colors are maroon and gold, with electronic color specifications of #7a0019 for maroon and #ffcc33 for gold.[1]
Design and History
The Bulldogs nickname was introduced in 1933 after football players saw a resemblance to a bulldog in their teammate, Jack O’Hehir.[2] The first version of the bulldog head logo appeared on hockey jerseys and other printed materials in 1970, created and drawn by Kathleen Erickson, who worked in the UMD Athletic Department.[2] An updated bulldog logo was created by Jesse Bodell in 1998.[2]
Over the last decade, the Bulldogs have transitioned to the exclusive use of the Gold Champ mark for all uniforms, apparel for athletic teams, and licensed trademarks.[3] The university maintains trademarks on select vintage marks, including “skating champ” and “gray champ,” which are made available on select items as a heritage collection for limited use.[4]
In football, the Bulldog head logo has appeared on helmets intermittently. After a logo-less helmet period of 18 seasons, an interlocking UMD graphic was added in 1988. That mark remained until 1999, when head coach Bob Nielson switched to the current UMD logo. In 2014, the athletic department replaced that logo on helmets with the gold Bulldog, its other primary logo.[5]
In 2022, UMD debuted an updated look for the Champ mascot costume featuring a gold coat, which the university said better reflected current Champ logos around campus.[6] After negative feedback from alumni and students, the university scrapped the new costume and announced plans for a costume committee.[6] A subsequent 2024 branding adjustment introduced a “new Block M Duluth logo” for the university, but athletic marks, uniforms, and Bulldog visuals were explicitly unchanged.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bulldog Champ trademark is reserved for Bulldog athletics as well as general campus spirit. The primary mascot mark is the gold Champ head, which reiterates the school colors and provides brand consistency.[8] The mascot was renamed from Killer to Champ in 1997 to create a more child-friendly image.[2]
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