Indiana University Athletics Unveils First-Ever IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines

Bloomington, Ind. – The story of Indiana University Athletics will be told more deliberately – and better – than it ever has been before.

On Tuesday, Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass unveiled the first-ever Indiana University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines. Among other things, the guidelines identify nine characteristics of "Who We Are" as an intercollegiate athletic department, while also serving as a roadmap to most effectively communicate and promote IU Athletics to its fans and other stakeholders through the consistent use of IU's marks, colors, typography and other means.

"This exciting, unique project, months in the making, has been a goal of mine for quite some time," said Glass. "We have mindfully set out in detail who we are and how that should be communicated, including importantly – but not only – through the uniforms worn by our students who participate in intercollegiate athletics. These guidelines will not only secure our desire for what has been an all-too-elusive 'uniformity' in our uniforms, but will enable us and our partners to consistently present IU Athletics consistent with our core values."

The Guidelines' "Who We Are" section sets forth our rock-solid foundation of ideas and principles which describe and differentiate us and form the basis of how we present ourselves. The nine characteristics of IU Athletics detailed in the Brand and Uniform Guidelines are:

We Are Smart – We are one of the top public research universities in the world. We are students in all aspects of our lives – always learning. We earn Indiana University degrees.
We Are the Spirit of Indiana – As the state's flagship university, we proudly and enthusiastically represent all of Indiana. We excite Hoosiers and thrive on their energy.
We Are Innovative – We're never satisfied with the status quo. Whether it's breaking the Big Ten basketball color barrier or introducing the Student-Athlete Bill of Rights, we are constantly blazing new trails and setting new trends.
We Are Proud – We embrace our traditions, and we have a great respect for our storied past. We take pride in our achievements and those of Indiana University.
We Are Inclusive – We are all Hoosiers. Our differences don't change that – and in fact, they make us stronger. We are committed to diversity and inclusivity, especially regarding race, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and gender identity.
We Are Fair – We know and play by the rules. We are good sports who treat each other and our officials, competitors, and fans with respect.
We Are Tenacious – We compete. Hard. We don't give up, because we know that nothing worth earning is earned easily. We are never daunted.
We Are Excellent – We are driven to be the absolute best we can be, as leaders and as teammates. And we earn impressive results.
We Are Champions.

The story of "Who We Are" as an intercollegiate athletic department is articulated in more ways than just the written and spoken word. As spelled out in the Brand and Uniform Guidelines, it is also revealed by what Indiana University students who compete in intercollegiate athletics wear.

Indiana University's athletic uniforms represent "Who We Are" in how they look, what they include, and what they do not include. All IU uniforms now honor the long-standing IU tradition of "Team Over Self" by not including the players' names on backs of jerseys in any sport. A staple of the IU men's basketball uniforms and virtually all of IU's other athletic programs' uniforms for decades, this tradition was carried over to IU Football this fall. As the state's flagship university, our uniforms always incorporate the state of Indiana graphic and often have "Indiana" appear across our jerseys. Consistent with our history of innovation, our uniforms utilize cutting-edge technology in their design and construction.

In addition to liberally using highly-recognized traditional IU marks and items such as the IU "trident," script Indiana, and candy stripes in cream and crimson uniforms, Indiana University's uniforms also highlight the department's "We Are Champions" element via the use of championship stars. In all, seven different Hoosier programs have won a total of 25 national titles, and those programs incorporate stars on their competition uniforms to honor that championship legacy.

The IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines was formulated by IU Athletics over the course of the last year in collaboration with the Indiana University Communications team. It is available to the public in printed format and can be downloaded by the public for free on the IUHoosiers.com website.

The IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines is modeled after the Indiana University Brand Guidelines, which was unveiled in 2016. While it utilizes the University's version as its foundation, the IU Athletics' edition was customized to fit its 150-plus years of traditions. Those traditions include the "We Are Innovative" element, recognizing the department's reputation and legacy as one of the most innovative athletic programs in the nation.

While the on-the-field successes of programs like men's basketball (five national titles), men's swimming and diving (six national titles) and men's soccer (eight national titles) are well-chronicled, IU Athletics' tradition of innovation may not be as well known. Ranging from breaking the color barrier in Big Ten men's basketball to IU Football's George Taliaferro being the first African-American drafted by the NFL to first-of-its-kind policies such as the Student Athlete Bill of Rights and the Sexual Violence Disqualification Policy, IU Athletics has long been a leader in innovative decision making and thinking.

The IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines will serve as an important resource for department staff members who market and communicate about IU Athletics, but its value extends to the university as well.

"I think Fred recognized that IU Athletics is in many ways on the frontline as far as marketing this institution," said IU Communications Chief Marketing Officer Eric Bruder. "IU Athletics arguably drives more impressions and engagement with students, prospective students, parents and alums than just about any entity in the university. "There was a recognition and appreciation of that."

Download the Indiana Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines

Indiana University Athletics Unveils First-Ever IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines

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