Belmont Abbey College, a private Catholic Benedictine college in Belmont, North Carolina, fields its athletic teams as the Crusaders in NCAA Division II and Conference Carolinas. The college’s current athletic identity dates to a June 2016 rebrand that introduced a redesigned Crusader mark alongside a new academic logo.
Design and History
On June 14, 2016, Belmont Abbey College unveiled new academic and athletic logos developed over more than a year with input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and the monastery community. The college hired Learfield Licensing to manage its trademarks and licensing program, and Learfield identified Rickabaugh Graphics of Gahanna, Ohio, as the design partner. Rickabaugh developed both logos after being selected from four firms that responded to the college’s request for proposals. [1]
The new athletic mark was described by the college as a “fresh redesigned crusader that both has a regal and yet competitive look to it.” It replaced a previous logo that showed the Crusader in profile, and the new rendition was intended to add a level of modernity while retaining a historical origin. [1] The Gaston Gazette reported that the new athletics logo features an updated version of the Crusader knight inside a shield, similar to the shield used in the college’s new academic mark. [2]
The rebrand was framed as part of an effort to build a national brand for the college. Athletic director Stephen Miss said the college aimed to “reinvigorate and standardize” its marks, including logo, font and colors, to create a consistent and more readily identifiable look. [1] The college began using the new logos immediately and planned to update uniforms, electronic media, stationery and campus signage over the following months. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The college’s 2016 brand guidelines identify three main colors associated with the institution: a black inspired by the Benedictine tradition, a rich red, and a pure white. The guidelines name these Abbey Black, Abbey Red and Abbey White. [4]
The academic logo introduced alongside the athletic mark displays the college’s founding year, 1876, within a red and white shield featuring the two spires of the campus’s Basilica Mary Help of Christians. [2] The college stated that the academic mark, with its shield and custom font, was intended to evoke “the excellence and virtue the college hopes to instill in its students.” [1]
Typography and Design
The 2016 press release notes that the new academic mark uses a custom font, and athletic director Stephen Miss referenced standardizing the college’s “logo, font, and colors” as part of the rebrand. [1] The specific typeface used in the athletic Crusader wordmark has not been publicly identified.
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.
