Baylor academics, athletics unify behind the interlocking BU
More than 120 years ago, Baylor students were inspired by a field of dandelions to make green and gold the school colors.
More than 100 years ago, the bear was voted in as Baylor’s mascot (outpacing the ferret, bookworm and buffalo).
Nearly 100 years ago, the first versions of what would today be considered the interlocking BU began to pop up — in the Lariat, on pennants, and eventually (about 50 years ago) on athletic uniforms.
Over such a long period of time, it stands to reason that each of those symbols underwent its fair share of changes. The green and gold of the simple dandelion expanded to include highlighter green and metallic gold; the bear donned a sailor hat and became radioactive; and the BU changed sizes and formats countless times.
Today, for perhaps the first time in Baylor’s history, the entire university is unified under one set of colors, one bear, and one primary logo — the iconic interlocking BU.
On Saturday, Baylor Athletics rolled out the new mark — a slightly tweaked version of the iconic interlocking BU — along with a new bear logo, new athletic wordmark, and a host of new uniform looks — during Green & Gold Weekend 2019.
On Monday, President Livingstone announced that the BU would now represent the entire university — not just athletics — and the interlocking BU was rolled out on Baylor social media profiles, the university website, and a new I-35 billboard adjacent to campus. (Additional signage tweaks will take place over the next few months.)
“The interlocking BU has its roots at Baylor dating back more than 100 years,” explained Dr. Livingstone in an email to the campus community. “In fact, the BU logo was used in various ways across campus long before its widespread use by Athletics began in the 1950s. Today, the interlocking BU is seen by millions of people across the country each Saturday in the fall for football and more recently during our women’s basketball national championship.”
Even after years of use, the old institutional mark, featuring Judge Baylor and Pat Neff, spoke well to an internal audience — people who knew and loved the Baylor campus — but meant little to those who didn’t know the university well. Those people knew the interlocking BU, thanks to athletics; now, that will be their introduction to the entire university, as all of Baylor — academics, student life, all 18 varsity sports, etc. — is now aligned. Same logo, same colors, same message.
“Now more than ever, it’s time for us to unite as the Baylor Family — academics, athletics and alumni — and rally behind our aspirations to be recognized as the preeminent Christian research university,” says President Livingstone. “Let’s stand proudly for Baylor University.”
Sic ’em, Bears!
You might also like:
* A history of Baylor’s interlocking BU (April 2019)
* A quick look at Baylor’s bear logos through the years (April 2019)
* Why are green and gold Baylor’s official school colors? (March 2017)