The history of the Delaware State University Hornets logo entered a new chapter Thursday.
The university on Thursday unveiled a new Hornet logo and a primary university logo that pays tribute to the school’s entrance.
The Hornets’ athletics logo was the result of the hard work of DSU marketing staffers Jasmine Couch and Antonio “J.R.” Fuondjing, providing an updated take on DelState’s cherry red and Columbia blue theme with a black banner and the ever-present Hornet.
“With the most diverse intercollegiate athletics program in DSU history, it was time for a more modern, powerful look,” Hornets AD Alecia Shields-Gadson said in the university’s statement. “This new Hornet athletics logo ushers a new era for Delaware State University’s sports teams. It is a work of branding art that reflects all that our intercollegiate teams are striving for – consistent bold and strong performances on the field of play packed with an unrelenting sting.”
The Hornet mascot itself has fascinating origins. During the institution’s time as the State College for Colored Students, the football team adopted the Hornet nickname in honor of the Blue Hornet, the bus that took the team to games on other campuses. When Delaware State College joined the CIAA in 1945, the Hornet nickname had already been used for over a decade.
The new university logo features the flagpoles posted at the main entrance of the Dover campus, a nod not only to a DelState standard but the diversity of the school, which changes flags alongside the American flag to reflect the various countries represented within the student body.
