Saint Martin’s University, a Benedictine Catholic institution in Lacey, Washington, fields its NCAA Division II athletic teams under the Saints name. The university’s athletics department, which competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), sponsors 13 varsity sports with over 240 student-athletes. [1]
Design and History
The Saints identity dates to 1966, when Saint Martin’s athletic teams adopted the Saints name after previously being called the Rangers. [2] The university’s official athletics website, smusaints.com, serves as the primary source for the current Saints logo and branding assets. [3]
The current Saints athletic mark is a red oval badge containing a stylized “S” emblem. The university’s official colors are red and white, as listed by the GNAC. [4] The athletics department operates under the broader Saint Martin’s University brand, which is governed by the Office of Marketing and Communications. That office maintains the university’s official style guide and provides downloadable logos and fonts for university departments, including athletics. [5]
In the 1990s, a committee explored rebranding the university’s mascot and logo to a raven, a symbol tied to a legend of Saint Benedict. Mock-ups of the raven were reportedly drawn up, but the idea was ultimately set aside, and the Saints identity remained. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Saints nickname connects the athletic program to Saint Martin of Tours, the university’s namesake. The school’s mascot, Marty, depicts Saint Martin during his Roman military service, a choice made because the saint’s later conscientious objector phase was considered not intimidating enough for a sports team. [6]
Saint Martin’s University was founded in 1895 by Benedictine monks, and the institution’s Catholic Benedictine character is central to its identity. [6] The university’s style guide describes the official university logo as constructed of two elements: a diamond icon and a logotype. [7]
Typography and Design
The university’s style guide specifies that the space around the official logo should be no less than the height of the “S” in “Saint,” indicating a custom logotype treatment for the university wordmark. [7] Official fonts and logos are distributed through the university’s marketing office for consistent use across departments, including athletics. [5]
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