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 team’s name. But its golden color and lightning-shaped tips link it to immense energy. It closely resembles 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 t0-17 to Ohio State.
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, was formerly Tempe Normal School. Its sports teams were known as the Normals since 1898. They were later renamed Bulldogs so the institution that would become Arizona State Teachers’ College would align with the level of popular universities at 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. A little later, the fund’s employees suggested naming the sports teams the Sun Devils. 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. It is an atmospheric phenomenon that resembles 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 stopped using the mini-tornado logo. Instead, they played on their name by presenting it as a funny devil named Sparky. A golden trident later replaced the symbol.
1980 – 2010
The university sports association’s old emblem depicts the devil in a cartoon style, created by Disney artist Bert Anthony. 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 edged in gold. The face and pitchfork of the “mischievous imp” (as it’s 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 with another version, in which only the devil’s pitchfork remained. The trident is close-up and the emblem’s centerpiece. All its ends are pointed, and the shortened handle is too. The pitchfork color is golden; the edging line is dark crimson.
Font and Colors
The main Arizona State Sun Devils logo has no inscriptions. But the team uses its own custom font. The designers made the serifs look like small, sharp horns and linked them to the team’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).