The Panther City Lacrosse Club was a professional box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The franchise was announced on November 16, 2020, as the NLL’s 14th team, and its name and brand identity were unveiled the following day at a launch event attended by team President and CEO Greg Bibb, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, and NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz.[1] The team began play in the 2021-2022 season and ceased operations effective August 30, 2024, when the NLL announced the franchise would shut down immediately.[2]
Design and History
The Panther City Lacrosse Club identity was developed around three documented components: the panther, the star, and Spanish Colonial architecture.[1] The panther references Fort Worth’s “Panther City” nickname, which originated from an 1875 newspaper column by Robert Cowart published in the Dallas Daily Herald. Cowart wrote that a panther wandered through Fort Worth’s streets and lay down to sleep in the middle of downtown, a story intended as a jab at the town’s quiet, sleepy nature. Fort Worth residents instead adopted the panther as a symbol of strength and revival.[1]
The star in the logo represents the Lone Star State, signifying that the team, while based in Fort Worth, represented all of Texas as the first NLL franchise in the state.[1] The shield containing the panther and star is a nod to Spanish Colonial architecture, with the star placed where a bell would normally rest. While the style does not depict an exact building, the design is found throughout Fort Worth, particularly in the Stockyards district.[1]
The identity system was created with RARE Design, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based branding firm founded in 1999 by former Nike designer Rodney Richardson. A designer who worked on the project confirmed on Dribbble that the identity system and uniforms were developed with RARE Design for the Fort Worth-based team.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The team’s colors were purple and red, chosen to emphasize the descriptors of an ominous big cat that hunts at night. According to the official NLL release, this panther is “a threatening and aggressive apex predator that is on the prowl,” not the cat from the legend that slipped through the city unnoticed.[1] The panther served as the main insignia of the team, reflecting “the attitude and spirit of a city with momentum.”[1]
When the team unveiled its uniforms in August 2021, the primary logo, featuring the panther head with a red star above it, was placed prominently in the center of both home and away jerseys. The arched line above the star and panther head represents an architectural element prevalent throughout Fort Worth.[4]
Typography and Design
The team’s visual system included multiple marks beyond the primary shield emblem. A secondary logo, featured on the shoulders of the jerseys, depicted the head of a lacrosse stick combined with the open mouth of the panther. The team’s shorts carried another mark: the interlocking “P” and “C” of Panther City.[4]
The franchise operated for three seasons before the NLL announced its closure, citing an “untimely withdrawal of Panther City’s membership” that placed the league in an unprecedented situation. Players under contract were entered into a dispersal draft among the remaining 14 NLL teams on September 2, 2024.[2]
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