Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) in Belmont, California, fielded intercollegiate athletic teams known as the Argonauts until the university discontinued its athletics program at the end of the spring 2020 semester. The Argonaut nickname referenced the mythical Greek heroes who sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece, and the team colors were blue, gold and white.[1]
Design and History
NDNU was the first California university to join the Pacific West Conference, entering the conference in the summer of 2006 after previously competing in the Cal Pac Conference.[2] The Argonauts competed in NCAA Division II as members of the PacWest until the university announced in March 2020 that athletics would not continue past the spring semester.[2]
The university’s official branding guidelines, published in 2017, documented the institution’s corporate logo and color specifications. The guidelines specified Pantone 289C for navy blue (with CMYK 100 60 0 56, RGB 0 50 99, and hex #003263) and Pantone 125C for gold.[3] These same navy and gold tones carried into the athletic identity, which also included white.[1]
The university’s current institutional logo, hosted on its website, serves as the primary mark for the institution following the end of its athletics era.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Argonaut mascot was named for the mythological Argonauts, the band of heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece.[1] The team colors of blue, gold and white reflected the colors of the university itself.[1]
Typography and Design
NDNU’s branding guidelines identify Roboto Black for headlines and large body text, with Roboto Regular for subheads, in the university’s contemporary communications materials.[5] These specifications apply to the university’s current institutional branding rather than to the retired athletics marks.
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