By J. Levi Burton |Sports Editor|
In recent years, it seems as though uniforms has become a much more prevalent topic in everyday sports topics.
From the University of Oregon which uses its football team as a guinea pig for Nike’s futuristic uniform ideas to professional teams constantly trying to brand itself to appeal to the younger generation, uniforms are money.
CSUSB seemed to get the idea as they unveiled a brand new logo for the athletic team’s here on campus.
“We were tired of seeing our students walk around in UCLA and USC gear,” said Athletic Director Kevin Hatcher, in the press conference unveiling the logo.
They wanted something that stood out in the community.
The athletics department had four goals in mind when deciding to change their logo.
First, they wanted to create a modern look that “our students would love.” The new logo is much more modern and flashy, something that can catch the attention of the student body.
Second, they wanted to create something that they could sell. Along with a logo that students love, comes a logo that will sell well. Students can show some school pride while wearing a CSUSB logo without wearing an outdated logo.
Third, they wanted a consistent brand amongst the athletics teams here on campus. The main complaint from athletes here on campus is that they are always mistaken for Santa Barbara.
Coyote Soccer player Martin Esqueda did not like always having to explain that we were San Bernardino, not Santa Barbara.
“Where ever we would go, people would always think we are from Santa Barbara,” said Esqueda.
Obviously, being able to have some school pride means being able to show off where your from without always having to explain it. Hopefully, the new logos will fix that which leads to the fourth and final goal. The school wanted to create some name recognition.
The old logo, while nice, only had a coyote head as part of the logo. The new logo incorporates the ‘California State University, San Bernardino’ name. That should aid in the recognition and differentiate our school from UCSB.
“[The new marks] don’t just identify us, they define us,” said Hatcher.
So while all four goals may or may not be completed, one thing is for sure, the athletes love them.
“I was pumped [for the new logos],” said Casey Hirsch, a soccer player on the Women’s team.
Seeing the change from the old logo to the new logo really energized Hirsch and her teammates for the new season. New matching uniforms tailored with the new logo creates a revitalized sense of solidarity and team unity even during practices.
Esqueda and Hirsch agreed that the new logo could definitely help with recruiting as well. Both expressed that the brand new look of the uniforms and the logo implies team unity, which is very important to recruits possibly coming to CSUSB to play.
The uniforms will be phased in throughout the year as teams begin their seasons. But every team should be wearing the new uniforms and logos by the end of year. The arena floor will be repainted as well.
In addition, the new gear is now available in the student store.
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