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American Collegiate Athletics Federation (Looking for C&C 9/9/21)


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3 hours ago, TheLogoFather72 said:

ok

Please keep from replying “ok” and other variations of this response to threads. It does not add anything for the person presenting their work and it tends to put the person posting the comments on the bad side of some of the community. I am no mod, but just wanted to be a little proactive and give you a heads up.

 

Other than that, I see there are a couple of new looks with no thoughts so I’ll have a go.

 

Maine State - While I think the connection between Foresters and the Maine Coon is a bit too loose, I still like the idea of the unique mascot. In Maine you really only see identities that are nautical or based around their fantastic seafood industry, so this is a refreshing spin. The logo package is solid and I’d like to know why you aren’t completely happy with it. The cat is big and as stoic as a house cat can look, and the fluffy S really makes that secondary. The only thing I can think of is the letters around the S that are vastly overshadowed. Nice call on the colors, gives a real traditional UMass Amherst vibe.

 

PSU - Speaking of colors, this is a good combo for putting a twist on the traditional green/gold. Though a double green and white is preferred, the gold feels like it works here. At first I was going to push for the change, but I eventually let my mind think that PSU is an older school that really wanted a refresh and Nike took them from Green/Gold/White to Green/Neon/Gold. The visual of the coyote stalking it’s prey was a clever way to include the prairie in the visual identity. The secondary, in the fiction I’ve created, is what I’d imagine was the school’s original mark prior to the refresh (original without all the fancy highlights of course). I think the grass in the paw gives something that is needed in that empty space. If you need an idea for their third logo I’d go a throwback with a simplified paw in a P, then “PSU” in classic college block lettering, with a Green/Gold/White scheme color scheme. It would help for alt jerseys.

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5 hours ago, TheHealthiestScratch said:

Please keep from replying “ok” and other variations of this response to threads. It does not add anything for the person presenting their work and it tends to put the person posting the comments on the bad side of some of the community. I am no mod, but just wanted to be a little proactive and give you a heads up.

 

Other than that, I see there are a couple of new looks with no thoughts so I’ll have a go.

 

Maine State - While I think the connection between Foresters and the Maine Coon is a bit too loose, I still like the idea of the unique mascot. In Maine you really only see identities that are nautical or based around their fantastic seafood industry, so this is a refreshing spin. The logo package is solid and I’d like to know why you aren’t completely happy with it. The cat is big and as stoic as a house cat can look, and the fluffy S really makes that secondary. The only thing I can think of is the letters around the S that are vastly overshadowed. Nice call on the colors, gives a real traditional UMass Amherst vibe.

 

PSU - Speaking of colors, this is a good combo for putting a twist on the traditional green/gold. Though a double green and white is preferred, the gold feels like it works here. At first I was going to push for the change, but I eventually let my mind think that PSU is an older school that really wanted a refresh and Nike took them from Green/Gold/White to Green/Neon/Gold. The visual of the coyote stalking it’s prey was a clever way to include the prairie in the visual identity. The secondary, in the fiction I’ve created, is what I’d imagine was the school’s original mark prior to the refresh (original without all the fancy highlights of course). I think the grass in the paw gives something that is needed in that empty space. If you need an idea for their third logo I’d go a throwback with a simplified paw in a P, then “PSU” in classic college block lettering, with a Green/Gold/White scheme color scheme. It would help for alt jerseys.

Appreciate all the kind words 😁 Something about the secondary seemed off to me, just not as "flowing" as I would've liked I think. Might tweak it in the future, but I've only heard good things do far so we'll see! PSU is definitely one of the newer brands in the universe. With a lot of these newer schools, they will definitely have older style throwback looks :) Again, thank you so much for the comments, I enjoy when people add their own twist to the history of these schools, adds some flavor to the whole thing! 

I'm really struggling with a St. Francis rebrand, so please be patient as that comes together. Golden Gate U should be up tomorrow, so again thank you for bearing with me on that. I've hit total roadblocks the last couple days on a few different concepts, but I finally have something to share! From Mississippi...

 

Medgar Evers University Sultans

Location: Vicksburg, MS

Affiliation: Grand Ole South

Colors: Ottoman Scarlet, White, Steel Gray

"Rococo" - Arcade Fire

KBphyzJ.png

So, Mississippi has a pretty crappy history (and their name is hard to spell), so I went a different direction for the school name. Medgar Evans was a famous civil rights activist from Mississippi, and considering their sketchy history with doing "the morally crappy thing", this sat better with me than some other naming options. Their nickname just sounded fun, I've wanted to do a "Sultan" for a while. I went about it the most respectful way I thought I could, the primary is based off two crossed Janissary (elite ottoman infantry) swords and the secondary is based off some paintings of Suleiman the Magnificent. The one thing I could use an assist with is the shading of the beard, so I look forward with some help from you guys n gals on that. That's all I got, please enjoy, and stay home and stay safe!

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On 5/23/2020 at 7:30 AM, sleuthpanther said:

Appreciate all the kind words 😁 Something about the secondary seemed off to me, just not as "flowing" as I would've liked I think. Might tweak it in the future, but I've only heard good things do far so we'll see! PSU is definitely one of the newer brands in the universe. With a lot of these newer schools, they will definitely have older style throwback looks :) Again, thank you so much for the comments, I enjoy when people add their own twist to the history of these schools, adds some flavor to the whole thing! 

I'm really struggling with a St. Francis rebrand, so please be patient as that comes together. Golden Gate U should be up tomorrow, so again thank you for bearing with me on that. I've hit total roadblocks the last couple days on a few different concepts, but I finally have something to share! From Mississippi...

 

Medgar Evers University Sultans

Location: Vicksburg, MS

Affiliation: Grand Ole South

Colors: Ottoman Scarlet, White, Steel Gray

"Rococo" - Arcade Fire

KBphyzJ.png

So, Mississippi has a pretty crappy history (and their name is hard to spell), so I went a different direction for the school name. Medgar Evans was a famous civil rights activist from Mississippi, and considering their sketchy history with doing "the morally crappy thing", this sat better with me than some other naming options. Their nickname just sounded fun, I've wanted to do a "Sultan" for a while. I went about it the most respectful way I thought I could, the primary is based off two crossed Janissary (elite ottoman infantry) swords and the secondary is based off some paintings of Suleiman the Magnificent. The one thing I could use an assist with is the shading of the beard, so I look forward with some help from you guys n gals on that. That's all I got, please enjoy, and stay home and stay safe!

I don't understand why you choose the nickname. Not trying to gatekeeper here,  but the name Sultans would be appropriately reserved with colleges/universities with historical/cultural connections to Arabs or people adhering to Islam faith. 

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56 minutes ago, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

I don't understand why you choose the nickname. Not trying to gatekeeper here,  but the name Sultans would be appropriately reserved with colleges/universities with historical/cultural connections to Arabs or people adhering to Islam faith. 

There was a famous steamboat called the “Sultana” which sunk close to Vicksburg, for the most part my choice in names was something boringly generic or something offensive and horrible from Mississippi’s history. I went with a third option, something that was vaguely related, but just conveyed power and respect in my eyes. I have never heard of a school in the US with a connection like this, do you have one in mind? Is there something in the way that it was done that was offensive or in bad taste, or is the concept as a whole just not sitting right with you? 

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3 hours ago, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

I don't understand why you choose the nickname. Not trying to gatekeeper here,  but the name Sultans would be appropriately reserved with colleges/universities with historical/cultural connections to Arabs or people adhering to Islam faith. 

Meh, Jazz music isn't as popular in Utah as it is in New Orleans but here we are.

 

Update: also found this: https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/lebanese-and-syrians/

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9 hours ago, sleuthpanther said:

There was a famous steamboat called the “Sultana” which sunk close to Vicksburg, for the most part my choice in names was something boringly generic or something offensive and horrible from Mississippi’s history. I went with a third option, something that was vaguely related, but just conveyed power and respect in my eyes. I have never heard of a school in the US with a connection like this, do you have one in mind? Is there something in the way that it was done that was offensive or in bad taste, or is the concept as a whole just not sitting right with you? 

Just the concept. Because for a Southern state like the Ole Miss, I'm expecting more of a prejudice against these kinds of people.

Also, just to tell a story, the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders once had an Arabian-themed logo back in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. They even introduced a mascot (which more resembled a cartoon drawing of a sheikh). The Raiders only go for the pirate-themed branding because people thought it's considered "offensive" towards Arabs. Though my head says they can pull off that kind of identity without being demeaning an ethnic group.

6 hours ago, TrueYankee26 said:

Meh, Jazz music isn't as popular in Utah as it is in New Orleans but here we are.

 

Update: also found this: https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/lebanese-and-syrians/

Thanks for the link. I'll read it.

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15 hours ago, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

Just the concept. Because for a Southern state like the Ole Miss, I'm expecting more of a prejudice against these kinds of people.

Also, just to tell a story, the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders once had an Arabian-themed logo back in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. They even introduced a mascot (which more resembled a cartoon drawing of a sheikh). The Raiders only go for the pirate-themed branding because people thought it's considered "offensive" towards Arabs. Though my head says they can pull off that kind of identity without being demeaning an ethnic group.

Thanks for the link. I'll read it.

I understand where you're coming from... 

To me, the idea of using a Sultan is much like using a "Monarchs" concept with an English crown logo. It's about royalty, something that conveys power and respect. In my eyes, the individual logos and the overall package is not inherently problematic. I made it with respect in my mind, being careful not to use stereotypical imagery. However, I am not Arab. If one of these logos is offensive, I'd be more than happy to replace it. Overall though, I do not think I'll be renaming them. I really do appreciate your concerns, and I'll be happy to even take away the secondary that directly uses a face.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well the next wave of inspiration finally hit, thank the lurd. I'm going to keep the descriptions a little shorter but here we go!

 

Western Trail University Wranglers

Location: Dodge City, KS

Affiliation: Super Central

Colors: Charred Orange, Surplus Green

"On the Run" - The Jompson Brothers

9xXLSTX.png

Dodge City is the perfect example of a rough n tumble western frontier town, so I wanted to give them something super gritty and down to earth. The Western Trail was a famous cattle trail that led through Dodge City. The logos are derived from the cattle brand style, so super simple. The primary is a cattle head, and the secondary in branding lingo would be called a "rocking WT" (the process of making a unique mark for cattle branding purposes is very interesting), I realize now that it also looks like "WTU" which is cool.

 

University of Coastal Texas Rays

Location: Galveston, TX

Affiliation: Super Central

Colors: Surf Teal, Black, White 

"Texas Sun" - Khruangbin

4hCVdXi.png

For Galveston, it was really pick an animal of the Gulf and go with it. I haven't seen many Manta Ray concepts, and none from this angle. The secondary is "UCT" with a kinda inline, I didn't want to do a bevel but I'm not completely happy with it. 

 

C&C is always appreciated, glad to be back!

 

 

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5 minutes ago, sleuthpanther said:

Well the next wave of inspiration finally hit, thank the lurd. I'm going to keep the descriptions a little shorter but here we go!

 

Western Trail University Wranglers

Location: Dodge City, KS

Affiliation: Super Central

Colors: Charred Orange, Surplus Green

"On the Run" - The Jompson Brothers

9xXLSTX.png

Dodge City is the perfect example of a rough n tumble western frontier town, so I wanted to give them something super gritty and down to earth. The Western Trail was a famous cattle trail that led through Dodge City. The logos are derived from the cattle brand style, so super simple. The primary is a cattle head, and the secondary in branding lingo would be called a "rocking WT" (the process of making a unique mark for cattle branding purposes is very interesting), I realize now that it also looks like "WTU" which is cool.

 

University of Coastal Texas Rays

Location: Galveston, TX

Affiliation: Super Central

Colors: Surf Teal, Black, White 

"Texas Sun" - Khruangbin

4hCVdXi.png

For Galveston, it was really pick an animal of the Gulf and go with it. I haven't seen many Manta Ray concepts, and none from this angle. The secondary is "UCT" with a kinda inline, I didn't want to do a bevel but I'm not completely happy with it. 

 

C&C is always appreciated, glad to be back!

 

 

Knew It!

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I would make the WTU actually read more like a U on the bottom, and make that the primary logo. For Coastal Texas, I feel like the tail of the ray should be there somewhere. It's missing some depth, I guess. And maybe a thinner inline following all of the letters would look better. I like the idea behind these tho!

"And those who know Your Name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." Psalms 9:10

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Medgar Evers - A positive idea that I believe has been appropriately executed when it comes to the cultural aspect. As for the design opinion, nothing from the two hit me to make me love them, but that doesn't mean they are bad in any way, let me stress that. I approach these logos as if they were real. For example, this most likely would be a football/basketball/baseball school, making me familiar with the schools name. Lets say I had never seen the logo and the primary popped up, would I at least guess this was MEU? Perhaps, because of the blade style, but I can't say that is for sure. A name with this inspiration presents the school a rare opportunity in college sports branding. I think a monogram inspired by the art styles of the Middle East would be:

1. A perfect way to stand out in a world full of college block fonts for logos. 

2. A way to connect the school to the identity 

3. Most importantly, further show the intentions of the idea. 

By going that extra step, I think the all around brand would go from simply paying respect, altering into a celebration of a prominent culture in the USA, further making a bigger impact.

 

Other than that, I think the beard on the secondary is a tad odd being incorporated into the outline. I see what you're doing with the negative space, but giving the beard its own shape might be a better option. 

 

WTU - I think the color combo is great, and the simplicity is very appropriate. I second the suggestion to change the two logos around, but don't think alteration to the rocking WT is necessary if it is directly based off a specific branding. The thought of "WT" is enough for the school, if the subtle U makes its way into the viewers mind, then that's a plus, but the purpose of the brand was never to show "WTU" it is to show an accurate branding mark. 

 

UCT - I think the primary is very unique in concept, but it is getting lost a little when looking at the finished product. A would also say to add the tail, but then go further by adding eyes somewhere. Even if it isn't 100% correct for the animal, it would give the viewer a familiar point to focus on, making it easier to put together the idea of the ray coming at them directly with its mouth open. I have never been a fan of the style in the secondary, but I see the direction we are going with it. I agree it has to be thinner, but also suggest using a color besides teal on the inside. A lighter gray might work. 

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On 5/28/2020 at 12:38 PM, TrueYankee26 said:


This encyclopedia entry states that nearly all of the Arab immigrants from Syria and Lebanon who made their way to Mississippi in the 1870s and 1880s were Christians escaping religious persecution, economic distress, and compulsory military duty at the hands of the caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, it just doesn't follow that Mississippi's Syrian and Lebanese immigrant community would be made to feel welcome and comfortable by a local university's athletic teams naming themselves the Sultans.     

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On 5/29/2020 at 11:20 AM, sleuthpanther said:

To me, the idea of using a Sultan is much like using a "Monarchs" concept with an English crown logo. It's about royalty, something that conveys power and respect. In my eyes, the individual logos and the overall package is not inherently problematic. I made it with respect in my mind, being careful not to use stereotypical imagery. However, I am not Arab. If one of these logos is offensive, I'd be more than happy to replace it. Overall though, I do not think I'll be renaming them. I really do appreciate your concerns, and I'll be happy to even take away the secondary that directly uses a face.


As I pointed out in my response to TrueYankee26's citation of the Mississippi Encyclopedia's entry on Lebanese and Syrian immigration to the state, nearly all Arab immigrants to America in the 1870s and 1880s were Christians escaping religious persecution, economic distress, and compulsory military duty at the hands of the caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. Such immigrants arriving in America - including those in Mississippi - would have been doing so in an attempt to get as far away from the idea of "sultans" as possible.

Further, given Medgar Evers work as a civil rights activist and his assassination at the hands of those opposed to to his efforts on behalf of advancing social justice, it is highly unlikely that his heirs would be comfortable with a university named in his honor being home to athletic teams bearing a nickname that carried even a hint of cultural insensitivity.

I do not doubt for a moment that you are completely sincere when you say that the Medgar Evers University athletics identity system was meant to "convey power and respect". That said, I just don't think a college athletics program bearing the name Sultans would fly in today's cultural climate. Frankly, I'm amazed that there hasn't been more pushback against college teams dubbed the Crusaders.     

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Well since this would occur in an alternate reality, hopefully there people wouldn't think any and every historical reference to a person or people group is inherently wrong/racist/ demeaning.

 

Getting back to the topic at hand, the concepts... 

 

Medgar Evans: I feel is has a strong identity and I really appreciate how you were able to build this identity without relying on the crescent and star imagery. You also might want to change the name of the primary color from Ottoman Red to something more abstract like maybe Eastern Red or something closer to home like Civil red, which would tastefully honor those who died in both the civil war and the civil rights era.

 

Western Trail: I personally think that both logos seemed somehow unfinished and raw. I think that both are so closely related artistically, that really only one should be refined and the other should be scraped. I also think that the charred orange might need to be lightened up a tad, just to 1. distance from Texas, and 2. create a less "muddy" scheme.

 

Coastal Texas: The primary is spot on and amazing. The only critique would be to sharpen the outline on the tips of the fins/wings. The secondary is a great idea, however is in need of some minor fixing. The most glaring thing is the abrupt and flat end to the inline. I think that it would look better with a finish similar to the shadowing in the primary logo. I also think the inline is too straight when compared to the rest of the set. Both the primary and secondary are curvy and flows well while the inline has sharp corners and awkward curves. Lastly, the color scheme is spot on for a coastal region. It just screams beach houses and the aesthetic associated with the whole beach life. To piggy back on TheHealthiestScratch's idea of a lighter colored inline, I would suggest a faint periwinkle or yellow to continue with the beach theme already present.

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Woof... here we go! Some much needed updates coming in, as well as two new ones. One small change I'm making (that I'm sure not many people will notice anyway), I will not be going back to old posts to update them with new logos. I'll still be filling them all in on the first page, but flipping through old pages to replace dead links is a pain in the butt. 

From least to biggest changes...

j4ZSTMJ.png

I've had this one holstered for a while, just forgot to post. Darkened the blue and fiddled with the paw on the globe.

GdrhNzK.png

Made the inline a little sharper, something tough about this one for some reason.

vIofQlv.png

NAME CHANGE- NO LONGER THE SULTANS.

Medgar Evers will now go as the "Sabres". I liked the primary too much to dump it, secondary is now a letter combo.

 

I will probably not be making any changes to Western Trail... they're odd aesthetically but it's the exact vision I had for them and I'm pleased with how they specifically turned out (other than lightening the orange, that's a good idea!) And now some new teams!

 

Crockett University Scouts

Location: Chattanooga, TN

Affiliation: Grand Old South

Colors: Smoky Blue, Amber, White

"You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" - Darrell Scott

bxt7VeP.png

The school name comes from Davie Crockett, a Tennessee icon (while some historical figures are suspect and I try to avoid, he seemed like he had a clean record. Also, it's my go-to when geographic monikers are difficult to connect). The name comes from "Lookout Mountain" located near Chattanooga, scouts and lookouts are similar right? In my fictitious history, the mascot used to be native american imagery but was changed to the state bird, a Mockingbird (Mockingbirds are like aerial scouts... right 😋)

 

University of Makatawa Oranje

Location: Holland, MI

Affiliation: Midwest union

Colors: Dutch Orange, Black

"Flood Song" - Quiet Hollers

hpibD3x.png

I mean it's in HOLLAND, what else was I supposed to name it? Obviously inspired by the rich Dutch heritage of the area, colors and all. The nickname is a general nickname for most Dutch national teams, and I liked it. The actual school name comes from the Makatawa River nearby, and holy crap it's a badass name. A cookie to whoever can remember what series I originally used this logo in!😁 It's always been one of my favorites, and I couldn't resist bringing it to an ~alive~ series. The secondary is simple, but will be a good base for some cool uniform striping.

 Hope you guys enjoy!

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Wow I love Crockett! One of my favorite logo sets you've made so far. I like the updates as well. Although I think the Medgar Evans monogram is very hard to read as an ME, I think a less intricate design, something similar to Costal Texas, whose color scheme and name is fantastic might I add, would look a lot better I think. Makatawa is cool, it's a bit hard to read as a lion and I think a couple tweaks to the face could help but otherwise it's definitely a unique identity I can get behind

3YCQJRO.png

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