On Friday, the University of Virginia athletics department unveiled an updated family of logos. Created by Nike’s Global Identity Group, the updates include changes to the V-Sabre logo, two new secondary logos and a new custom font.
The new identity is a culmination of an 18-month process with Nike and UVA coaches, student-athletes and administrators.
“Nike’s discovery process was fascinating,” Director of Athletics Carla Williams said. “They are global leaders in marketing, and to be able to be part of their process was unique and special. To hear our coaches and staff members who had been at UVA for many years talk about the University, the Rotunda, the Lawn, the serpentine walls and the academic mission of the University was quite impressive and inspiring. I could see and hear their passion for UVA and their commitment and love for the University.”
The primary V-Sabre logo has been updated by adding a beveling effect to the V and sabres. Grips were added to the sabres to mimic the design of the serpentine walls found on Grounds. The width of the V and the length of the sabres were also slightly adjusted.
“The V-Sabre logo is uniquely Virginia,” Williams said. “I noticed our logo sometimes gets washed out in comparison to the other logos in the ACC. Those logos have become more visually impressive over the years. The updates to the V-Sabre enhance our primary mark and enable it to be pronounced when it is positioned side-by-side with our competition.”
The new Cavalier Shield logo will be used as a secondary logo. The mark was inspired by a coat of arms design and the V-Sabre logo, while the top of the shield contains the outline of the design of the University’s Rotunda.
Also added to the secondary logos is a new Virginia Cavalier logo, which was also inspired by the V-Sabre mark.
“The Cavalier mark is a symbol of strength, character, mystery, integrity and diversity,” Williams said. “It’s one of those unique marks that in short time will become very popular and synonymous with everything that we as Cavaliers aspire to be.”
Nike also created a custom font for the Cavaliers which uses “straight lines and circles found in the original design documents of the Rotunda.” Additionally, the numbers in the font feature the “allusion” of the sharp edge of a sabre.
Cavalier Orange and Jefferson Blue will remain the primary colors of Virginia Athletics, but secondary orange and blue accent colors have been added to add depth and dimension to the new logos in full-color versions.
“I love the new visual identity system,” Williams said. “It’s exciting and it maintains UVA’s sense of history and a strong connection to the past. It pays homage to our tradition and what we hope our future will be, which is to be bold, creative, innovative, competitive, fierce and fiery. The new marks and logos have all of those qualities in each one of them.
“It’s important to acknowledge the challenges we are currently facing, and we considered delaying the launch of the new brand identity system. However, we hope our new marks and logos serve as a rallying point for our coaches, student-athletes, prospective student-athletes and fans. We look forward to being back on Grounds together again.”
Virginia will wear new uniforms for the 2020-21 season that feature the new logos, font and patterns that depict the serpentine walls. The new uniforms will be very similar to what each team wore during the 2019-20 season.