Nicholls Colonels is the athletics identity of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The university fields 15 NCAA Division I teams, with football competing at the FCS level, and uses red and gray as its official colors. The Colonels nickname and the Col. Tillou mascot both trace to the university’s namesake, Francis Redding Tillou Nicholls, a Confederate brigadier general and two-term Louisiana governor.[1]
Design and History
The athletics program’s visual identity has evolved through several distinct phases. The original Colonel caricature, known as Tillou, was introduced in 1956 when Nicholls was a predominantly military institution. That 42-year-old mascot design was retired in 2004 by then-president Stephen Hulbert after concerns were raised about its appropriateness.[2][3]
In May 2005, Nicholls unveiled a new set of university and athletics logos developed by the Lapham/Miller consulting firm, hired for $49,000 to complete a rebranding process. The athletic logos consisted of a three-dimensional “N” with a sword, a stand-alone “N,” and an “N” with “Colonels” across the center. The sword-through-N emblem was an updated version of the university’s older mark.[4][5]
After five years without a visual mascot, Nicholls contracted Ohio-based Rickabaugh Graphics in June 2008 to develop a new Colonel image and athletics visual identity program. The design firm met with focus groups of students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members over a five-month period. The new Col. Tillou logo and mascot were unveiled in late July 2009, with the cost of the rebranding effort reported at about $30,000, including roughly $20,000 for Rickabaugh’s design work and $10,000 for the mascot uniform.[2][6]
The 2009 redesign drew immediate criticism. The new mascot, described as having a “chiseled face, military-style cap and saber poised for action,” was likened by some alumni and observers to a soldier from Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia’s Red Army due to its black, red and gray color scheme. University officials defended the design as the result of a lengthy process in which focus group participants voted, with nearly 65 percent selecting the winning logo.[6][7]
The current primary athletics mark remains the red “N” with a sword, which has been part of the Nicholls family of trademarked logos alongside the Col. Tillou character since 2009.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The sword through the letter “N” directly references the military background of Francis T. Nicholls, who rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Civil War and lost his left arm and foot in battle.[1] The mascot’s name, Col. Tillou, derives from Nicholls’ middle name, Redding Tillou. The modern version of Col. Tillou wears a bright red uniform with a contemporary-style military officer’s cap, a look intended to hearken back to Nicholls’ founding in 1948 as a military-influenced institution.[8]
Typography and Design
Nicholls State University’s official identity guidelines specify that the university logotype uses Trajan Bold, an all-uppercase font. Garamond and Interstate are recommended as complementary fonts, with Palatino and Gill Sans as acceptable substitutions.[9]
The official university colors are red and gray, specified as Nicholls Red PANTONE 187 and PANTONE 430. The university’s branding guide states that red and gray “have long been the identifying colors for Nicholls State University” and that the colors were updated in the new signature to provide a fresh, modern feel while retaining the history and prestige of the university.[9][10]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
