SIU unveils new athletics logo
Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Saluki Athletics unveiled a new, official logo on Thursday, Feb. 28.
The new logo replaces the existing mark that has represented the brand since 2001.
The new logo refreshes the traditional Saluki “dog head” with a cleaner, streamlined appearance, university officials said in a news release. The news release was posted on the Saluki Athletics website.
“The Saluki is unique throughout collegiate athletics,” said SIU director of athletics Jerry Kill.
“Our goal with the new logo was to retain the original look and feel of the Saluki, while giving it a sleeker, modern feel. There are exciting changes happening within Saluki Athletics and Southern Illinois University as a whole, and the new logo is symbolic of the progress we intend to make.”
The logo is a product of the partnership between Southern Illinois University and IMG College Licensing and was more than two years in development.
“We are excited about the new logo and what it means for the future of the Salukis brand,” said Denise Lamb, vice president of Partner Services for IMG.
“The updated, streamlined approach stays true to the history and tradition of SIU while meeting the increased demand for flexibility across digital and social platforms that is needed by top universities.”
The logo was designed by Torch Creative, a Dallas-based design studio with a focus on branding, logo design and development, illustration and typography design.
Torch Creative has worked with numerous college and professional sports teams and conferences, as well as non-sports organizations and companies across the United States.
Discussions concerning a new logo began in 2016, under former director of athletics Tommy Bell.
Torch Creative was selected for the project based upon the firm’s history of developing unique collegiate athletic logos.
The firm researched the history of the Salukis and presented ideas and sketches to the university.
A broad spectrum of university employees and community members provided feedback during the design phase until the final version was approved by director of athletics Jerry Kill and the chancellor’s office in the fall of 2018.
Both Saluki Athletics and IMG College Licensing, the university’s exclusive licensing agency, committed funds toward the project.
Saluki Athletics paid Torch Creative $3,450 for the creation of an official SIU Saluki type font. IMG College Licensing paid Torch Creative $10,000 for logo design services.
The SIU-IMG partnership renewal agreement in 2017 included a $12,000 signing bonus for Saluki Athletics to cover costs associated with the new logo.
The last revision of the Saluki logo was introduced in 2001. University officials said that the logo had a dated appearance and had fallen out of favor as the primary athletic mark, having been replaced in most instances by the bullet “SIU” mark.
The new logo is seen as modern and sleek, easy to reproduce digitally and on merchandise. The new marks are expected to provide a substantial increase in royalty revenue for the university.
University officials said that the release of the new logo coincides with several major projects that are in the works, including a new artificial turf playing surface at Saluki Stadium, so the release of the logo needed to precede work on these projects.
The Feb. 28 announcement was considered a “soft launch” of the logo.
The official website (SIUSalukis.com) and social media accounts were to be updated immediately. ESPN and other television visuals will be updated for the fall of 2019.
Uniforms will be updated within their regular replacement cycle. Facilities will be updated as regular maintenance is needed.
Fans can expect to see limited merchandise now at Seventen, the online team store and the University Bookstore on campus.
Broader inventory is expected by the fall, as 75 vendors have already signed non-disclosure agreements permitting them to produce new merchandise.