North Dakota State University’s athletic teams compete as the Bison, a nickname adopted in March 1922 after earlier identities as the “Farmers” in the 1890s and the “Aggies” in the early 1900s. Head coach and athletics director Stan Borleske championed the change because he and members of the football team disliked the Aggies label, wanting a strong and fierce mascot instead. The bison was a logical choice given the animals once roamed the North Dakota prairie in vast numbers, and Bison teams also became known as the “Thundering Herd.”[1]
Design and History
The current Bison athletic identity dates to June 1, 2012, when NDSU introduced a revised official identity package including primary and secondary logos and a new custom typeface. The revisions were developed from existing shapes and letters by Pennsylvania-based Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company, which lists several professional and collegiate teams among its clients.[2]
The 2012 update was driven by inconsistency: NDSU previously used more than two dozen logo combinations available in two, three or four colors. The new package consolidated these into three logos available only in yellow and green, creating a unified image across all sports. The revisions drew from marks previously created by Flint Communications of Fargo, introduced in March 1999, and a secondary “head” logo by CI Sport of Fargo, released in July 2006.[2]
The lineage of the current mark extends much further back. Former NDSU wide receiver Pete Lana designed a snorting Bison logo that evolved into the official Bison logo used on everything from football helmets to sweatshirts.[3] Lana’s snorting bison design appeared on helmets from 1978 to 1998, replacing a standing bison with “NDSU” on its side that had served as the helmet logo since 1964. The current logo was designed in 1999 and revised in 2012.[4]
In 2025, NDSU released updated university-wide brand guidelines through a partnership with SimpsonScarborough, introducing a refreshed creative identity rooted in the institution’s land-grant mission. The athletic Bison mascot logos remain trademarked and owned by NDSU Athletics, used only for athletics-related materials or with permission from Athletics.[5][6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Bison mascot connects directly to the university’s regional heritage. The animals once roamed the North Dakota prairie in vast numbers, and the nickname was chosen by Borleske and his players for its strength and ferocity.[1] The “Thundering Herd” moniker grew from the same prairie association.[1]
NDSU’s official school colors are green and yellow. The university specifies green as Pantone 343 with HEX #00583d and yellow as Pantone 123 with HEX #ffc425.[5]
Typography and Design
The 2012 identity package included a custom typeface developed by Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company alongside the revised logos.[2] The typeface, titled “Bison Bold,” was designed for use in athletic department communications as a titling header font and to distinguish sports.[7]
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