Monday, August 4, 2014

UIS unveils new athletic logo

A fresh appearance for their school’s sports teams will greet University of Illinois Springfield students when they return to campus for the fall semester in a few weeks.

UIS unveiled a new logo during a ceremony on Friday at The Recreation and Athletic Center. The logo, featuring “UIS” and a single motion star, is navy, Vegas gold and white.

“We cleaned it up and simplified it,” UIS athletic director Kim Pate said.

The release of the logo comes six months after the school announced it would retain the Prairie Stars nickname, which dates back to 1977. A process to examine nickname alternatives began in 2012. Among the proposed name suggestions were Stars, Mammoths, Sabers, Stampede and Springers.

Pate assured those in attendance Friday that “Prairie Stars” is here to stay. Free shirts, balls, bracelets, buttons and other items featuring the new UIS and Prairie Stars logos were distributed to those on hand. A tarp was removed from the gymnasium floor and revealed the new logo painted on the court.

Studio Simon of Louisville, Kentucky, designed the graphics, which include 11 primary marks and sport-specific logos.

The story was published in The State Journal-Register on August 2, 2014.

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