The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference whose visual identity has undergone two documented redesigns since the early 1990s, most recently in 2014. The current primary mark features a slanted “WAC” abbreviation with notched letterforms in a burgundy tone paired with warm gray, above the tagline “LEARN COMPETE INSPIRE.”[1]
Design and History
The WAC’s first widely documented logo, used from roughly 1992 to 2005, featured the “WAC” abbreviation in black with white and turquoise outlines and serifs, with the full conference name set above in a traditional sans-serif.[2]
In July 2005, following a period of heavy membership turnover that saw 13 schools leave and six join since 1999, the conference decided to rebrand. Commissioner Karl Benson officially introduced a new logo, a maroon and silver color scheme, and the slogan “Play Up.”[3] The redesign was led by Adrenalin, a sports marketing firm, which said it collaborated with the WAC to modify the logo in a way that preserved recognition of the existing WAC mark while communicating the strength of the conference with its new membership.[4] The 2005 mark removed the solid underline and set the letters in burgundy on a white background, with all three letters slightly slanted and joined together.[5]
In 2014, the WAC again refined its brand, working with Adrenalin Sports Marketing (a division of Real FiG Advertising + Marketing). The conference conducted market research and began the 2014-15 season with a refined logo, a new slogan, and a full electronic brand style guide for member institutions.[6] The 2014 update changed the silver to warm gray, giving the logo a fresh appearance while keeping it widely recognizable.[7] The full conference name text was replaced with the new tagline “LEARN COMPETE INSPIRE.”[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2014 logo displays the “WAC” abbreviation in italicized letterforms, with distinctive “spikes” or notches on the “W” and “A” that make the type easily identifiable.[5] The color palette combines a saturated burgundy with a subdued gray.[5] The official conference color is documented as #98002E, a deep red-burgundy tone.[8]
Typography and Design
The current wordmark uses custom italicized letterforms for the “WAC” abbreviation, with the notched details on the “W” and “A” serving as the mark’s primary distinguishing feature.[5] The tagline “LEARN COMPETE INSPIRE” appears in smaller capital letters beneath the abbreviation.[1]
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