Rams get redesigned logo

A new academic year is bringing a new logo for the Cornell College Rams.

The new primary logo, which has been phased in gradually since last fall—starting with the college’s artificial turf in Ash Park—is a “C” designed to be clean and collegiate looking. The move away from having a Ram as the main logo was part of the effort to connect Cornell’s athletic programs with the college at large, and to give a more cohesive identity. The C logo also recalls the letter used on letter sweaters and jackets from the early part of the 20th century.

The Ram—his proper name is Ulysses—lives on, however, in a stylized secondary logo that will appear on uniforms and fan apparel. The new look for Ulysses came from an examination of what other animal logos look like, and an effort to differentiate Cornell, said Allan Recalde, creative director at the college.

“Most of the other logos that use a ram just show the head,” Recalde said, “so we decided to show the entire body in silhouette. We wanted something that was recognizable while looking different from our previous logos and others’ logos.”

A tertiary logo also incorporates elements from Cornell’s shield logo, Recalde said, which further ties the college’s branding together visually.

The college is coordinating the launch of its new athletics logo with the start of new student orientation on Aug. 27, and planning activities to build excitement on campus, including a photo contest, temporary tattoos, surprise visits by the mascot, and more. Promotions of the new logo are also planned throughout the fall at athletic events.