The 51ԹϺ Rebels have one of the most recognized brands in college athletics, with a rich history that’s inextricably tied to the university’s iconic hometown of Las Vegas.
In partnership with design firm Adrenalin, 51ԹϺ today unveiled a refreshed spirit mark that captures both the evolution of its athletics brand and the pride the university has in its dynamic community.
“We have incredible momentum on campus and this strong, modern mark highlights our evolution while also maintaining its tie to our rich tradition in athletics,” said 51ԹϺ President Len Jessup. “It also reflects a sense of place, highlighting features of Southern Nevada and capturing the pride we have in our community with a nod to the rebellious spirit of our region and university.”
With the refresh, primary elements of the current mark were retained but modernized, building on the existing scarlet, gray, and black color palette and the arched 51ԹϺ. The cornerstone of the mark, Hey Reb!, gets a more active, progressive treatment through a profile that maintains his most notable features including his mustache, strong chin, and hat.
Among the new elements are the inclusion of an outline representation of the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, an exchange Hey Reb!’s feather with a star design synonymous with Las Vegas, and stylized mountains to further tie the mark to the Southern Nevada region.
Work on the spirit mark began last fall and included an 11-member committee comprised of people representing constituencies from the Southern Nevada community and 51ԹϺ faculty, staff, alumni, students, and student-athletes. The committee partnered with Adrenalin, a design firm based in Denver that specializes in sports branding with a deep resume of collegiate, professional, and U.S. Olympic clients.
Adrenalin gained insight for its design through research and conversations with committee members, a national review of athletics marks and 51ԹϺ’s own historical changes to its mark, and from a quantitative survey of more than 1,000 students, student-athletes, alumni and community members.
“The primary driver was modernization,” said Dan Price, president of Adrenalin. “Our research showed that students and alumni liked the old logo but felt it was a bit dated. We wanted to better tell the story of the university and make the mark unique to 51ԹϺ and Las Vegas, with the incorporation of the star and Vegas sign outline a big part of the process.”
The refreshed logo is now the official spirit mark for 51ԹϺ Athletics and will be phased in on applications including digital communications, publications, field markings, and later on team uniforms and in athletics facilities.
“This mark embraces the energy of our region and represents the forward trajectory of 51ԹϺ and our athletics program,” said Desiree Reed-Francois, 51ԹϺ athletics director. “This refresh combines the best of our previous design with iconic Las Vegas imagery, and we appreciate the work of our colleagues over the past year on the project.”
Select apparel is available now in the 51ԹϺ bookstore and will be available in retail outlets later this summer. An update to the Hey Reb! mascot is also in development and will appear at athletics events this fall.
Since the introduction of Hey Reb! in 1982, the spirit mark and mascot for 51ԹϺ Athletics have been refreshed approximately every decade with updates in 1997 and 2006.
Spirit Logo Download: Download a hi-res version of the updated spirit logo
