The Ohio Dominican Panthers are the athletic teams representing Ohio Dominican University, a private Catholic institution in Columbus, Ohio, competing in NCAA Division II as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.[1] The university’s official brand guidelines identify the panther head and the D-Paw as two of its athletic logo elements, both of which must be accompanied by the university name on apparel or products.[2]
Design and History
Ohio Dominican adopted the Panthers nickname as its athletic identity, and the university’s official colors are black and gold.[1] The university joined the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2010 as part of its transition to NCAA Division II from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).[3] The Panthers later moved to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2017.[1]
The university’s brand guidelines describe athletic materials as reflecting “the energy and challenge of ODU athletics, combined with a strong sense of Panther pride.”[2] The guidelines also reference the panther head and D-Paw as distinct logo elements within the athletic identity system.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The university’s colors of white, black and gold are described as the colors of the Dominican Order and the Papacy, reflecting the institution’s Catholic Dominican heritage.[4] The panther mascot name itself is the documented nickname for all Ohio Dominican athletic teams.[1]
No official documentation has been located that assigns specific symbolic meaning to the panther head or D-Paw logo elements beyond their role as athletic identifiers. The designer or agency responsible for the current athletic logo has not been publicly credited in available sources.
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.
