Which FCS/Mid-Major school has the best brand?

[Brave-Bird 08]

Self explanatory topic, but let me explain my homer pick.

Kennesaw State

-- My soon-to-be alma mater inspired this thread, because I truly believe Kennesaw State has one of the best identities of any FCS/Mid-Major. The identity package, unveiled a few years ago, includes a strong monogram, cohesive secondary logos, as well as a binding primary logo--all of which are embroider friendly. The school received its own custom font and numerals. Also, each home uniform is gold, rather than white. Gold is the primary focus of the athletic teams, and to this point they've not messed with grey alternates. Also, while not every uniform is identical, they are very close in similar design elements. The new football uniforms also have a very distinct look. The gold-gold-white combo, which is expected to be the primary, will be a bold and undeniable uniform. Instead of getting sloppy and excessive with design elements, each uniform is in consideration of the other squads and lets the school-specific font, logos do the work instead of unnecessary design elements

[GriffinM6]

Creighton. Enough said.

I do love KSU's identity as well.

[TBGKon]

Are we talking logo identity or name recognition?

If by name recognition, it's clearly Boise State.

[Brave-Bird 08]

Identity package. For example, Wichita State is well known, but it's athletic identity in terms of stuff we talk about on these boards is pretty awful

[CAB]

Creighton has a great primary logo, but their athletic identity is a bit scattered. They still use a standard block font for basketball for some reason. I think they missed a great opportunity last year for a uniform overhaul. The baseball team also uses a basic script and wishbone C cap logo.

There's a lot of good identity packages at the mid-major level but unfortunately they don't have the budget to have custom uniforms. From what I've seen in the OP, Kennesaw State certainly has one of the best, the custom font is a huge plus.

[Brave-Bird 08]

I've got to think Villanova deserves mention

[collegefootballgeek]

Creighton has a great primary logo, but their athletic identity is a bit scattered. They still use a standard block font for basketball for some reason. I think they missed a great opportunity last year for a uniform overhaul. The baseball team also uses a basic script and wishbone C cap logo.

There's a lot of good identity packages at the mid-major level but unfortunately they don't have the budget to have custom uniforms. From what I've seen in the OP, Kennesaw State certainly has one of the best, the custom font is a huge plus.

They upgraded for the 2014 NCAA Tournament. It does look a bit plain but I like it. Baseball could use the upgrade though. Can't stand the wishbone C

[mattb6]

Kennesaw State is beautiful, especially for an adidias school.

I nominate Harvard:

[St Louis Cardinals]

Whittier College has great logos and football uniforms.

[TheRicSlick]

Whittier College has great logos and football uniforms.

And a great nickname. Way to not be generic.

[damnyoutuesday]

The Montana Grizzlies. Great logo and great unis

[Germanshepherd]

South Dakota State.

[dfwabel]

Kennesaw State is beautiful, especially for an adidias school.

I nominate Harvard:

Harvard is BFBS since Amaker was hired and it now makes them a $hitshow.

Harvard Athletics does not need an identity/brand because THEY ARE HARVARD!

People will go to the bookstores, official or not, and buy a tee or sweatshirt because it is what it is.

[GriffinM6]

Kennesaw State is beautiful, especially for an adidias school.

I nominate Harvard:

Harvard is BFBS since Amaker was hired and it now makes them a $hitshow.

Harvard Athletics does not need an identity/brand because THEY ARE HARVARD!

People will go to the bookstores, official or not, and buy a tee or sweatshirt because it is what it is.

I feel like I just read an hbgoo post.

[Guest]

Kennesaw State is beautiful, especially for an adidias school.

I nominate Harvard:

Harvard is BFBS since Amaker was hired and it now makes them a $hitshow.

Harvard Athletics does not need an identity/brand because THEY ARE HARVARD!

People will go to the bookstores, official or not, and buy a tee or sweatshirt because it is what it is.

I feel like I just read an hbgoo post.

Uhm Harvard has been using black apart of its jerseys and/or helmets since the 50's in football (if not further?) and its been a supporting color of their palette for as long as I can find. So they don't really classify as BFBS.

[tBBP]

Yeah, I think its important to distinguish here between "brand" and "visual identity". Even though the two are pretty well tied together, the former is a collection or mental and/or emotional connotations associated with a specific entity (in this case, a postsecondary institution and in this instance its athletic program); the latter is pretty much the visual application and/or interpretation of such. (We could really have an entire thread dedicated to that topic...somebody get on that.)

Anyway, far as most distinctive identities go, I've long favored the Saint Mary's College Gaels...one of the most unique looks out there.

Brand identity developed by Kurt Osaki of Osaki Creative Group, in case anyone's curious.

[mad43dog]

Harvard is my number one

But William and Mary is a close second for me

Just classic

[seattlesonicsofsacramento]

I'm gonna talk about both brand and visual identity, which it seems like most of us are doing. My favorite mid-major brand is maybe a SoCal homer pick, but I've loved it ever since I found some random plastic box in my parents' garage with this logo on it:

Of course, that box was pretty old, as they've recently been trying to complete a rebrand to their best nickname:

I know they've got some real branding strength with the Dirtbags moniker their baseball team uses, but the rest of the teams are all repping The Beach now, with the basketball (and volleyball) team being the face of it:

The oldest high school in my hometown used to be brown and yellow just like Long Beach State used to, before going black and yellow just like LBSU did. Brown and yellow seems really Californian to me as a result, maybe because of the bear on the flag and the whole gold rush thing. I can live with the BFBS, but maybe bringing back the brown would make me love The Beach's visual identity as much as I love their brand

[Ben5]

William & Mary's identity is not good. Are they green and gold or green and yellow? Their primary logo is a wordmark.

[illwauk]

Louisiana-Lafayette (or is it just Louisiana now?) definitely deserves some shine here. The Ragin' Cajuns identity is steeped in the local culture and all things uniquely Louisiana... even more so than LSU. To me, it's everything a college athletic program's identity should strive to be.

My only gripe is that ever since they decided they wanted to be known as Louisiana, with no qualifiers, they've been neglecting to use "Ragin' Cajuns" as much, which I think is the strongest part of their brand.

Self explanatory topic, but let me explain my homer pick.

Kennesaw State

-- My soon-to-be alma mater inspired this thread, because I truly believe Kennesaw State has one of the best identities of any FCS/Mid-Major. The identity package, unveiled a few years ago, includes a strong monogram, cohesive secondary logos, as well as a binding primary logo--all of which are embroider friendly. The school received its own custom font and numerals. Also, each home uniform is gold, rather than white. Gold is the primary focus of the athletic teams, and to this point they've not messed with grey alternates. Also, while not every uniform is identical, they are very close in similar design elements. The new football uniforms also have a very distinct look. The gold-gold-white combo, which is expected to be the primary, will be a bold and undeniable uniform. Instead of getting sloppy and excessive with design elements, each uniform is in consideration of the other squads and lets the school-specific font, logos do the work instead of unnecessary design elements

Kennesaw State is definitely up there for me. I wish my school (which also uses black and gold, and lives in the shadow of the bigger state school up the highway) would take notes from KSU on how to properly brand an athletic program.