Arizona State Sun Devils Logo PNG
The Arizona State Sun Devils logo shows their drive to win. The Trident is considered one of the devil’s attributes, linking the emblem to the names of sports teams. But because of its golden color and lightning-shaped tips, it is associated with immense energy. It is very similar to the Trident of Poseidon, which is depicted on the flag of Barbados.
Arizona State University’s athletic program dates back to 1885, when the school was founded in Tempe as a territorial teacher-training institution. Organized football appeared in the 1890s, and over time, college sports became a major part of campus life. During the first half of the 20th century, ASU teams competed under the Bulldogs nickname.
In 1946, students voted to rename the teams Sun Devils, tying the identity to Arizona’s desert heat and climate. Around the same period, artist Bert Anthony created Sparky, the horned mascot with a pitchfork. Football became the program’s main national stage under Frank Kush, who coached from 1958 to 1979 and finished with 176 wins, 54 losses, and 1 tie.
In 1978, ASU joined the Pac-10, entering regular-season competition with major West Coast programs such as the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins. One of the strongest moments came in 1996, when Bruce Snyder’s team went 11-1, won the Pac-10 title, and reached the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Jake Plummer led that Sun Devils team, which lost to Ohio State 17-20.
The wider Sun Devils program produced major athletes in several sports, including Barry Bonds and Reggie Jackson in baseball, and Phil Mickelson in golf. In 2011, after Colorado and Utah joined, the league became the Pac-12 Conference. ASU preserved its rivalry with the Arizona Wildcats from Tucson, known as the Arizona rivalry. At the same time, its athletic department expanded to 26 teams across men’s and women’s sports.
Meaning and History
The Arizona State Sun Devils were sometimes called that. Arizona State University, to which they belong, had a predecessor, Tempe Normal School. And its sports teams have been known as the Normals since 1898. Then they were renamed Bulldogs so that the educational institution that later became Arizona State Teachers’ College would align with the level of popular universities of the time. The name associated with the British dog breed has been used for several decades.
After World War II, college attendance increased dramatically, prompting the Chamber of Commerce, a public organization, to increase students’ interest in sports and to create the Sun Angel Foundation. And a little later, the fund’s employees suggested naming the Sun Devils sports teams. This option was supported by a majority vote on November 8, 1946. The term “sun devil” is not associated with animals, plants, or mystical characters. This is an atmospheric phenomenon that looks like a small tornado. It occurs when hot and cold air collide at the Earth’s surface. Such a whirlwind is also known as a “whirling dervish,” “dancing devil,” or “dust devil.”
But after the renaming, sports teams did not use the logo with the image of a mini-tornado. Instead, they played on their name by presenting it as a funny devil named Sparky. The symbol was later changed to give way to a golden trident.
1980 – 2010
The old emblem of the university sports association depicts the devil in a cartoon style, created by Bert Anthony, an artist at Disney. Sparky runs, thrusting a trident forward as if intending to pick up opponents on it. This image was introduced in 1980. All elements of the logo are painted in raspberry-burgundy and have a golden edging. The face and pitchfork of the “mischievous imp” (popularly called) are yellow.
This version lasted until 2011. Then the mascot moved to the category of brand symbols and is now used separately.
2011 – today
The old logo was replaced by another version, on which only the pitchfork remained from the devil. The trident is close-up and is the centerpiece of the emblem. All its ends are pointed, as is the shortened handle. The pitchfork color is golden; the edging line is dark crimson.
Font and Colors
The main logo of the Arizona State Sun Devils has no inscriptions. But the team has its own font of individual design. The designers made the serifs on the letters look like small, sharp horns and associated them with the sportsmen’s mascot, the cartoon devil Sparky.
The logo uses the university’s official colors of maroon and gold. This palette was adopted as early as 1898 when the teams became known as the Normals. Selected shades are ASU Gold (#FFC627) and ASU Maroon (#8C1D40).