When I returned to my alma mater in 2013 to serve as director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports, one of my primary tasks was to determine how the athletics program could be better aligned with the overall mission, vision, and strategic direction of the college.
One aspect of this realignment relates to how athletics represents the college graphically. The logo system that has been in use for the past two decades has some limitations and does not complement the college’s current visual identity, which was launched in 2011. We knew it was time to update our athletics visual identity while keeping intact our Bombers nickname.
Last November we created an athletics identity team and were thrilled to have Jason DeLand ’98 volunteer as a strategic advisor for the group. Jason is a former Ithaca College baseball player and cofounder of the award-winning agency Anomaly, which is best known for its Budweiser Super Bowl ads.
The development process included creative input from current and alumni student-athletes, coaches, and staff in the athletics and marketing communications offices. We held dozens of focus group meetings, and one message our student-athletes made clear is that they wanted to feel united as “one family,” that being part of the larger athletics community at the college is central to their experience.
Thus, I am proud and excited to announce the unveiling of the new logo system representing Ithaca College athletics—logos with a sharp, clean, strong look, giving us a progressive and assertive way of expressing who we are and who we strive to be.
The updated identity includes a redesigned athletics website — athletics.ithaca.edu — which has a sleek, modern appearance and is compatible with all mobile devices. There you can see a video that we have put together to give you a better idea of the thinking that went into creating the new designs.
Beginning with the fall sports season, our team uniforms, equipment, apparel, playing surfaces, scoreboards, and other signage will begin a multiyear evolution to this new system.
As an Ithaca College alumna, I am filled with great pride in being a part of this exciting evolution in our athletics program’s identity.
We recently completed one of our most successful athletics years ever, finishing at number 12 in the Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, which ranks the country’s elite intercollegiate athletics programs based on their finish in national championship events.
I hope you will agree that the new logo system reflects the characteristics that have come to symbolize this kind of winning tradition in Bombers athletics: strength, unity, and a long-standing commitment to excellence.
Susan Bassett ’79
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20140819151604260