Monmouth Hawks are the athletic teams of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The university’s athletic identity centers on a hawk head logo, with the mascot named Shadow. The official colors are Shadow Blue (Pantone 295) and white, per the university’s brand guidelines.[1]
Design and History
In May 2014, Monmouth University revealed a new set of athletic logos. The unveiling coincided with the school’s move to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for most sports, and the athletic program marked the occasion with a complete visual refresh.[2]
The current primary mark features a hawk head logo co-branded with “Monmouth” in the athletics font. The University “M” logo also serves as a primary mark for athletics and represents the institution’s official letter mark.[3] The 2014 set includes a side view of a hawk’s head rendered in midnight blue, blue, gray, and dark gray, paired with a “MONMOUTH” wordmark in white on a blue background.[4]
Prior to the 2014 refresh, the university’s athletic identity used a different visual system. The older logo featured the bird’s head displayed above a capital “M” in vivid blue.[5] The 2014 redesign introduced the current hawk head treatment that remains in use.
Meaning and Symbolism
The university’s brand guidelines identify Shadow Blue (Pantone 295) and white as the primary brand colors, described as “deeply rooted within our DNA.”[1] The mascot is named Shadow, a name that connects to the Shadow Blue color designation used throughout the university’s visual identity.[6]
Typography and Design
The athletics identity uses a dedicated athletics font for the “Monmouth” wordmark that accompanies the hawk head logo. The visual identity guidelines specify that the hawk head logo is co-branded with “Monmouth” in this athletics font, distinguishing it from the academic University logo used in official academic communications.[3]
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