Alabama State Hornets Logo PNG
Designers created a complex filigree logo for the Alabama State Hornets team to sting opponents like a hornet and give them no moment’s peace. The division’s logo features a ruthless insect. It overwhelms opponents with painful attacks, maintaining leading positions. Terrifying power and determination- that’s what this emblem conveys.
Alabama State University was founded in 1867 in Marion, Alabama, as Lincoln Normal School, which aimed to train Black teachers in the post–Civil War South. In December 1874, it became the first state-controlled institution for African Americans in the United States. In 1887, the school moved to Montgomery.
Athletics developed in the early 20th century. The school played its first football game in 1901 against Tuskegee University, beginning a long-standing rivalry. In 1913, Alabama State became a founding member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and won football titles in 1935 and 1939.
In 1975, the program left SIAC and, in 1982, joined the Southwestern Athletic Conference, moving to NCAA Division I. The shift raised competition and expanded recruiting opportunities.
The football team peaked in 1991 with an unbeaten 11–0–1 season and a SWAC title. Another conference win followed in 2004. More than twenty players from the program reached the NFL.
Key traditions include the Magic City Classic against Alabama A&M in Birmingham and the Turkey Day Classic against Tuskegee in Montgomery.
Men’s basketball made five NCAA Tournament appearances. In March 2025, Alabama State earned its first tournament win, defeating Saint Francis in the First Four.
Across all sports, the program has won more than 120 SWAC titles. Facilities include “Dunn-Oliver Acadome”, with 7,400 seats, and ASU Stadium, which opened in November 2012 and has a capacity of 26,500.
Meaning and History
The university’s sports department logo has remained unchanged since 1999. It consists of two interrelated parts: a graphic and a textual element. The latter abbreviates the university’s name, “ASU” (Alabama State University), emphasizing the teams’ affiliation. The font is strict, simple, wide, and sans-serif. The stroke is stylized as a stinger, and the bottom half is tightly pressed to the base. All letters are connected and flow into one another.
The graphic sign is an enraged hornet. It’s the sports department’s mascot, representing the Vespa genus and resembling a wasp externally. The insect’s wings, eyes, legs, and antennae are grey, and its body is black-and-yellow striped. It has a sharp stinger at the end. Meanwhile, the hornet is flying through the letter, threatening opponents. Although the letters dominate the emblem, the mascot remains visible because of the contrast.
What are the Alabama State Hornets?
Alabama State Hornets is the name of 16 sports teams at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. They compete in NCAA Division I and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
1972 – 1984
1984 – 2001
2001 – today
Alabama State Hornets Football
The university’s soccer team was formed in 1901. It competes in the NCAA Division I soccer championship. It hosts home games at its new Hornet Stadium, which opened in November 2012. Donald Hill-Eley coaches the athletes.
Alabama State Hornets Basketball
The university has men’s and women’s basketball teams. They compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Since 2019, they have been coached by Lewis Jackson, who has held this position for the 14th season.