The College of Charleston sponsors about twenty sports teams that compete in the NCAA Division I intercollegiate competitions and are members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They form the Department of College of Charleston Cougars, which got its current name after a student vote. University students have chosen the Cougars option because cougar has recently appeared at Charles Towne Landing Zoo.
Meaning and History
The first College of Charleston Cougars logos reflects the sports mascot – Clyde The Cougar. The brand name, adopted in 1964, depicts the head of a growling puma. It is turned to the right and is inside the big “C.” The letter is shaped like a horizontal ellipse. Later, in 2003, the cougar became more realistic. Artists detailed it, drawing in detail even the most insignificant elements – from ears to sharp claws on the front legs. The animal lies calmly on a red ribbon with the inscription “College of” Underneath are the words Charleston and Cougars.
1964 – 2002
2003 – 2012
2013 – today
The current emblem, introduced in 2013, is far from tradition. Graphic designer Gil Shuler moved away from the image of a cougar and chose a completely different concept. In the center, he placed a white-gray letter “C,” circled by two lines of burgundy and golden colors. Across is a horizontal rectangle with the nickname of the sports department. The main difference between the font is its angularity: the letters consist of a combination of white polygons.
