The UC Riverside Highlanders are the NCAA Division I athletic teams of the University of California, Riverside, competing in the Big West Conference. The athletics department introduced its current visual identity system in July 2020, a complete rebrand designed by the national branding firm Bosack & Co. The system includes a primary typographic ligature, a secondary Scotty Bear mark inside a tartan shield, and a tertiary California outline logo.
Design and History
The 2020 athletics rebrand was the result of a year-long creative process involving coaches, staff, student-athletes and donors in discovery sessions and concept presentations. The design work for both the campus and athletics brand redesigns was led by Bosack & Co., an independent national branding and design firm specializing in sports and collegiate athletics. The new marks were designed to have a strong visual connection with the university’s institutional identity, which launched June 13, 2020. The previous university brand visual identity had been in place since 2006, before the proliferation of mobile devices, social media and online video, and had become ineffective in contemporary digital applications. The updated institutional identity retained core elements including blue and gold colors, the Highlander nickname, the Scotty mascot and the university seal. [1] [2]
The new primary logo is a UCR typographic ligature, with the “U” and “C” merged together to represent Riverside being part of the University of California system. The secondary logo features Scotty Bear inside a tartan shield with “UCR” below the shield. The tertiary logo is the state of California overlapped with a tartan and a diamond marking the campus location. [3] [4]
The Highlanders nickname dates to UCR’s inaugural year. In November 1954, an election ballot listed six potential campus symbols whittled down from 67 student suggestions. When none received a majority vote, the men’s basketball team led a write-in campaign for the “Hylanders,” which was adjusted to “Highlanders.” Scotty, originally a pint-sized bear in a kilt and scarf playing bagpipes, became UCR’s mascot symbol. In 1998 the mascot was redesigned with a fiercer image, and in 2010 students voted on a sleeker Scotty featuring a growling bear wearing a Tam O’Shanter. Scotty’s half-blue face plays homage to the Scottish hero William Wallace. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2020 primary logo’s merged “U” and “C” letters represent Riverside’s place within the University of California system. The tartan shield in the secondary logo reflects the Scottish Highland theme of the Highlanders nickname. The California outline tertiary logo places the campus geographically within the state. [3] [4]
Typography and Design
The UCR Athletics brand guidelines specify Oxanium as the preferred font for athletic communications and collateral material. The primary logo is available in full color and one-color variants, with color placement and rotations that should not be altered. The athletics marks are reserved for exclusive use by the UCR Athletics Department. [6]
The university’s official colors are UCR blue and UCR gold. The dominant color on UCR designs should always be Pantone 293c, complemented by Pantone 1235c. For contrast or visual depth, Pantone 660c and 130c may be used. [7]
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.
