San Francisco State University’s athletic teams, the Gators, compete in NCAA Division II as members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The university’s official athletics site, sfstategators.com, serves as the home for Gators sports information and team branding. The school’s colors are purple and gold, and its mascot is the Golden Gator, graphically represented by distinct marks used across university communications and athletics.
Design and History
The Gators nickname traces back to 1931, when students voted for the “Golden Gaters” as the school mascot, a reference to the Golden Gate Bridge. The spelling almost immediately changed to “Gators.” The mascot, Alli Gator, arrived on campus in 1931 as an athletics mascot and became a fixture at campus events. Suggested alternatives including golden panthers, owls and seals did not stick with voters. [1]
In August 2014, SF State President Leslie E. Wong introduced a refined Gator mark at the annual faculty meeting, part of a commitment to branding the school’s mascot. The new mark was described as a “refresh” by Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie, who said the university worked with the marketing communications department, the President’s office and the student affairs department to develop the unique look. [2] The redesign was the fourth change in the logo’s 83-year history at the time. [3]
The 2014 mark was created by Rickabaugh Graphics at a cost of $5,000. [4] The new design showed a golden alligator on all fours, a considerable departure from its cartoonish, purple and upright predecessor. [5] Student athletes first wore gear with the new logo in September 2014, though athletic uniforms with the mark were not expected until the following year. [3]
In August 2023, the university’s mascot Alli Gator received a redesign, described as a “glow up” after 92 years with the same look. The updated mascot was unveiled at a campus event on Malcolm X Plaza. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The university’s official brand guidelines distinguish between the Golden Gator spirit marks, which represent the university mascot and are used for spirit communications such as alumni materials, and the official athletics-only Golden Gator marks. [6] The university does not allow modification of its logos and marks in any way, and all merchandise and apparel must be purple, gold or a neutral color. [7]
Typography and Design
The 2014 athletics mark featured a simple, more realistic alligator crouching below a trademarked “SF State” inscription. [3] The university’s official color system identifies Core Purple with PMS 2091 C and HEX #442C8B, along with a gold color with HEX #FFD24F. [8]
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