The Winona State Warriors are the athletic teams of Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, competing in NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for most sports. The athletics department maintains a layered visual identity built around a primary Warrior Head mark, a secondary Warrior Head Badge logo, and a community-inspired alternate word mark introduced in 2016.
Design and History
Winona State Athletics uses the Warrior Head as its primary logo and the Warrior Head Badge as its secondary logo. In August 2016, the department introduced a new alternate word mark logo to represent its 15 athletic programs, intended for use when a horizontal graphic is needed or when teams want the institution’s name prominent on apparel. The Warrior Head and Warrior Head Badge logos continue to serve as the primary and secondary marks.[1]
The alternate logo was designed by staff members of the Winona State Athletic Department in a collaborative effort with administration. According to Assistant Athletic Director Chris Kautza, the Winona community played a significant role in the design process, with the department wanting the logo to capture the imagery of the region and highlight the community’s importance to Warriors Athletics.[1]
The framework for the alternate design was the graphic on the front of the NCAA Championship basketball jerseys the Warriors wore during their run to national championships in 2006 and 2008. The new logo features the word “Winona” in larger text than “State,” matching the jersey design.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2016 alternate word mark incorporates several design elements connecting Warrior Athletics to the Winona community. The “W” and “A” in the logo serve as pillars, while the white space behind the middle of the word “Winona” represents the interstate bridges in the region. The purple between the letters highlights the railroad’s presence in Winona by forming rails and tracks throughout the word “Winona.” The white space within the word “State” shows the Mississippi River’s presence, and it also appears below the bridge element.[1]
Winona State’s official colors are purple and white.[2] The university’s primary institutional logo, separate from the athletics marks, is the “Flaming W” paired with the Winona State University word mark.[3]
Typography and Design
Winona State University’s institutional logo guidelines specify the word mark uses Utopia as its serif font and Helvetica Condensed as its sans serif font. The preferred full logo version is produced in PMS Pantone Violet.[3] The university logo and word mark are registered trademarks and may not be altered or modified in any way.[3]
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