Western Michigan University’s athletic teams, known as the Broncos, have used a series of bronco head marks and block “W” logos since the late 1990s. The current visual identity, adopted in phases between 2020 and 2021, unifies the university and athletics under a single brand system built around a brown and gold palette.
Design and History
The Broncos nickname dates to 1939, but the modern logo era began with a complete branding overhaul in 1998, when the bronco head mark was introduced as a central element of WMU athletics’ identity.[1]
In August 2016, WMU Athletics announced a brand refresh. The updated primary logo combined the Block W with the traditional bronco head, with no wordmark used alongside it. The refresh also changed metallic gold to old gold and discontinued full-body bronco logos.[2][3] As part of the culture infused by head coach PJ Fleck, the football program was represented by the “Ghost Bronco,” a leaner version of the traditional bronco head.[2]
In December 2020, WMU announced a unified color scheme, and in June 2021 the athletics department began using a new logo set aligned with the university’s academic brand. The new primary athletics logo features a gold “W” enclosed in a brown circle with a gold outline, beside stacked “Western Michigan” typography. The Broncos reduced their official color scheme from seven colors to two: brown and gold.[4][5]
The university’s rebrand cost an estimated $672,000 over two fiscal years, with signage replacement occurring through the natural life of materials. University officials said the goal was to strengthen the brand and unify athletics with academics under one shared identity.[6]
The “Ghost Bronco” was refined as a spirit mark: its orientation was flipped, the color updated, the eye filled in, and an outline with gold accents added.[4] In 2023, WMU updated the bronco head logo again, removing gold highlights inside the bronco’s hair and instead using a gold outline around the entire head.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The university’s official brand mark consists of a “W” within a circle, paired with a wordmark of the university name. According to WMU’s visual identity guidelines, the brand mark and wordmark were “carefully rendered” and must not be reset with any other font.[8] The university describes the logo as its most recognizable visual element, representing the institution across nearly every point of engagement.[8]
The 2021 rebrand was framed by the university as a commitment to “a shared visual brand with the campus we represent,” reflecting a trend where athletics and academics share one logo.[9][6]
Typography and Design
WMU’s university-wide visual identity specifies Montserrat as the preferred sans-serif typeface for all marketing and communication materials, with Arial as an acceptable substitute. Georgia is the approved serif typeface.[10] The official colors used in all university logos are Pantone 7406 C Gold and 4625 C Brown.[11]
The university logo exists in three configurations: primary, stacked, and long horizontal. The brand mark should appear with the wordmark and is only separated in rare circumstances.[8]
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