National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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May 19, 2010 8:44:21 AM

UMBC recently unveiled a new primary logo that features a stylized Chesapeake Bay retriever, the result of a year-long study by the UMBC Office of Creative Services.

Graduate Jim Lord designed the new mark, which uses the brown tones of the Maryland state dog with a block-style UMBC above it. Lord also designed three additional logos: a full-bodied dog, and "UMBC Retrievers" and "UMBC" word marks.

The new design was chosen with a process that included focus groups of students, student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff and alumni. All constituencies had an opportunity to vote during homecoming week last fall, and an online poll registered more than 2,500 votes among three finalists. More than 60 percent of the vote went to the logo finally chosen.

"The family of logos was a key development this time around," Lord said. "I wanted to make sure we had a solution for every need. That is where the word mark comes in – the arched UMBC with retrievers underneath – for use when the dog head may not be appropriate. A full-body dog was also created for large signs and posters. The new logo has a lot of flexibility in its usage and has a style-guide to make sure it is used appropriately."

The mark is receiving rave reviews from student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

"Our new logo looks proud and professional, and it will bring us into the 21st century,"
 said softball student-athlete Julia Culotta.

Hennon milestone: Georgia Southern head baseball coach Rodney Hennon recorded his 400th career win in a 12-7 victory over Charleston Southern on May 11. In his 11th year leading the Eagles, Hennon has earned no fewer than 30 wins a season. Georgia Southern is 33-19 so far this year, with a series against The Citadel to wrap up the regular season.

During his tenure, the Eagles have finished no lower than fourth in the Southern Conference regular season (with three titles and two runner-up finishes) and advanced to the regional competition of the Division I Men's Baseball Championship three consecutive years.

Big South returns tourney to High Point: Big South Conference presidents voted to return the league's women's basketball tournament to High Point for the next two years. The 2011 and 2012 tournaments will return to the Millis Athletic Center, which has hosted the event since 2009.

High Point will be the first Big South member institution to host the entire championship for four consecutive years. The conference returned to a single-site format for its women's basketball tournament after a three-year experiment using home sites from 2003-06.

"It is a great honor to have the tournament back here again," added High Point Athletics Director Craig Keilitz. "It is important for our team and all the student-athletes that we put on a first-class tournament and we are proud to do so once again."

Facilities news: California will play its 2011 home football season at San Francisco's AT&T Park while California Memorial Stadium undergoes an earthquake retrofit and renovation. The Golden Bears will return to their home stadium for the 2012 season. AT&T Park is home to Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, and the school will work with the league to accommodate both teams' playing requirements during September and October. The facility has hosted several college football bowl games, including the Emerald Bowl (now called the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl) since 2002.

Western Kentucky celebrated its 100th anniversary of athletics with the dedication of the Paul C. Orberson Baseball Clubhouse, made possible by a $600,000 contribution from former baseball student-athlete Paul Orberson. Orberson pitched for the Hilltoppers for four seasons in the 1970s and is now the president and CEO of Hi-Tech Marketing. The 4,000-square-foot facility houses the team and coaching staff and includes on-site training and equipment facilities.

Provost Umphrey Stadium at Lamar will be renovated to offer new artificial field turf, seven luxury suites, a new video board and a 44,000-square-foot athletics complex. The stadium's capacity could expand to 28,000 in the future. The project, which also includes improved site lines and accessible seating, is expected to be complete by September 11, 2010.

Denver dedicated a new 10,000-square-foot training center, named for Denver Broncos president Pat Bowlen. Bowlen is also a member of Denver's board of trustees and donated $1.5 million toward the $6.3 million project. The facility was constructed simultaneously with the new CIBER Field at Denver Soccer Stadium. The strength and conditioning complex includes warm-up areas, weight lifting, cardio and rehabilitation stations, a video screening room and a 66-yard turf track for speed and agility training.