The San Diego Seals are a professional box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that began play in the 2018-19 season. The franchise announced its name, logo and colors on October 24, 2017, at a press conference on the rooftop of the La Jolla Cove Hotel & Suites in San Diego.[1]
Design and History
The team’s primary logo depicts a seal face that team president Steve Govett described as “tenacious, yet welcoming.” The seal wears a crown with three spikes, a representation of the trident of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. The shield background is reminiscent of the head of a lacrosse stick.[2]
The logo was commissioned from Adrenalin, Inc., a design firm that has created logos for several professional and collegiate teams.[3] Adrenalin Sports Marketing, a division of Real FiG Advertising + Marketing, created a family of logo designs for the team.[4]
The team name was chosen by owner Joe Tsai, who was granted the San Diego NLL expansion franchise in August 2017.[1][3] The name acknowledges the marine mammals along San Diego’s coastline and pays tribute to the Navy SEALs who train in nearby Coronado.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo’s design elements carry documented meaning tied to both San Diego and lacrosse history. The shield background evokes the head of a lacrosse stick, connecting the mark to the sport itself.[2] The trident crown references Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, fitting for a coastal city.[2]
The color palette is purple, black, gold and gray.[3] Gold was selected to bring to mind the sunshine of San Diego, while purple is the primary color of the Iroquois, a nod to lacrosse’s Native American roots.[3] The Seals were the lone NLL team whose colors included gold and purple at the time of the unveiling.[2]
The team used the slogan “Surfacing Soon” from the brand reveal until it began play the following season.[1]
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