Northwestern‘s logo makeover should’ve been one step: One clean rip-off-the-Band-Aid makeover. Instead, the Wildcats ripped half of the Band-Aid, and we can still see the bloody, purulent remnants on the pad.
In 2012, after three decades of the horrendous Wildcat “N,” they removed the Wildcat and simplified the “N.” Improvement but not a finished product. It’s 2019, and you’re a solid Big Ten program. Start acting like it.
Northwestern needs a logo makeover, as do these seven teams (in my opinion):
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Arizona State
I love marshmallows. In hot chocolate, on s’mores and atop sweet potatoes. I do not, however, want a plate of marshmallows for dinner.
Marshmallows = Sparky the Sun Devil’s pitchfork.
For 30 years, Sparky’s pitchfork was a key piece to one of the best logos in college football. It was the marshmallow to my s’more. In 2011, Arizona State shoved a plate of pitchforks down my gullet.
The pitchfork worked because it was Sparky’s complementary piece, not the main dish.
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Hawai’i
I have no issue with Hawai’i’s logo. In fact, the green, black and silver Warrior logo is excellent and has aged well since its 1998 introduction.
However, I’m willing to sacrifice the Warrior logo to the Warrior Gods in exchange for weekly rainbow uniforms. Their logo doesn’t need a makeover but we do need the rainbow uniforms.
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Memphis
Memphis’ logo was ahead of its time when introduced in 1994. That time has since passed.
With the most common nickname in the FBS (five Tigers), it’s time to stand out as they did in 1994. The “M” can stay. The leaping clip-art tiger must go.
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Mississippi State
There’s good simple (e.g. Oregon, Miami, Tennessee) and bad simple. Mississippi State is bad, boring, have-some-self-respect simple.
If their “M” banner logo was introduced in 1930, sure, keep the classic look. It wasn’t; it replaced the intertwining “MSU” logo 15 years ago and has no longstanding tradition.
MORE: Redrafting Each No. 1 Pick Since 2000
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Northern Illinois
Amateur. Hour.
It was adequate in 2001, mostly because…it was Northern Illinois.
Eighteen years later, Northern Illinois is averaging more than nine wins over the last nine years as one of the most consistent Group of Five programs. They don’t run an amateur-hour football program. They shouldn’t have an amateur-hour logo overloaded with a mascot, acronym and nickname.
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Oregon State
“This rebranding is about 3 things. 1. Recruiting 2. Recruiting 3. Recruiting.” then-Oregon State Mike Riley declared in March 2013 when the Beavers unveiled a new logo and uniforms.
It didn’t work. And the logo still sucks.
Now, like in 2013, I still applaud the effort. Oregon State took a leap with a dramatic change that pushed the boundaries of Power Five logos. They misfired.
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Texas Tech
No other Power Five problem has had consistently terrible logos. Texas Tech’s refusal to upgrade their stacked “TT” is baffling, especially for the only “Raiders” in the FBS (and only Red Raiders in any level of college sports).
Like Mississippi State, take inspiration from the alternate masked rider logo.
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