The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown. The university’s visual identity is anchored by the “Flying WV,” a monogram-style mark combining the letters W and V in a flowing, angular pattern. The mark was created in 1980 and adopted as the university’s official logo in 1985. [1]
Design and History
The Flying WV debuted on September 6, 1980, at the opening of New Mountaineer Field, coinciding with the arrival of new football coach Don Nehlen. [1] Although Nehlen is often credited with the design, the mark was actually created by John Boyd Martin, a Kansas City-based designer and University of Kansas graduate. [2] Martin’s brother, Dick Martin, was WVU’s athletic director at the time. [3]
According to WVU’s official 150th anniversary site, Martin’s “mountain-inspired sketch” became the Flying WV. [2] The logo was initially used to identify the football program, and other athletic teams began adopting it in the following years. The university adopted it as the official school logo in 1985. [1]
In 2025, WVU announced a brand refresh that updated colors, fonts and messaging. The university confirmed that the gold and blue colors and the Flying WV logo would remain unchanged. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Although commonly called the “Flying WV,” Martin has explained that he was actually inspired by the landscape of West Virginia. [5] The official WVU athletics identity guide describes the logo as “a fitting tribute to the beautiful mountains of the state of West Virginia,” with the combination of a W and a V flowing “in a progressive, yet strong pattern.” [1]
The university’s colors, old gold and blue, were adopted by the school’s upperclassmen in 1890. According to WVU, the color choices were taken from the West Virginia state seal. [1]
Typography and Design
WVU’s athletics identity system, developed through the Nike Global Identity Group, includes a custom display typeface and numeral set called “The Mountaineers” font. The official guide describes it as fusing “modern foundational forms with universal functionality.” [1]
Official WVU brand guidelines specify the primary colors as PMS 124 C (gold) and PMS 295 C (blue). [6] The university’s exterior sign standards likewise require WVU blue as PMS 295 and the WVU logo in PMS 124. [7]
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