DePaul Blue Demons Logo PNG
The use of the name and symbolism of a diabolical organization by athletes of the Roman Catholic University is symbolic. The DePaul Blue Demons logo distinguishes 15 teams and features a clever, powerful mascot. A play on words led to the emergence of a mascot whose cunning and strength became the players’ defining traits.
DePaul Blue Demons: Brand overview
The athletic story of DePaul University in Chicago is closely tied to basketball. Founded in 1898, the program rose under Ray Meyer’s tenure, which began in 1942. In his first season, he led the team to the NCAA Final Four alongside freshman George Mikan, challenging the idea that tall players lacked mobility.
In 1945, DePaul won the NIT title, which was then considered equal to or superior to the NCAA Tournament. Mikan scored 53 points in a semifinal against Rhode Island and finished as MVP. He later became one of the first dominant NBA centers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Meyer coached from 1942 to 1984, attending 1467 consecutive games and finishing with 724 wins. In 1978–79, led by Mark Aguirre, DePaul reached another Final Four, defeating UCLA and USC before losing to Larry Bird’s Indiana State. Aguirre became the No. 1 NBA draft pick in 1981 with the Dallas Mavericks.
In the early 1980s, DePaul entered three NCAA Tournaments as a top seed but exited in the first round each time. In 1984, Joey Meyer replaced his father and led the team to multiple NCAA appearances, including a 26:2 season in 1986–87 before a loss to LSU.
After the Meyer era, the program moved through conferences, joining the Great Midwest in 1991, Conference USA in 1995, and the Big East Conference in 2005. The last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2004 under Dave Leitao, ending with a loss to Connecticut. Rivalry with the Marquette Golden Eagles remained a key part of the program’s identity.
Meaning and History
The logo used until 1979 contains the traditional letter “D.” The symbol is simple and unremarkable. The designers chose a rectangular font without rounded corners and set the background to white. Then, the emblem featured a small blue devil with a tail, beard, and horns. This is one of the graphic versions of the mascot, Demon in a Blue Suit, more commonly known as DIBS. It was the sports department’s distinctive symbol from 1979 to 1998.
In 1999, artists modernized the logo. They depicted a heraldic shield with blue horns in the background. On the front side is the inscription “DePaul,” a ribbon with the team name (“Blue Demons”), and a stylized head of a devil turned in profile. The developers also played with the font of the first word, adding sharp serifs in the form of horns.
What is DePaul Blue Demons?
The DePaul Blue Demons are a participant in the intercollegiate program, comprising 15 student teams from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The sports faculty is a member of the Big East conference and competes in NCAA Division I.
1907 – 1955
1975 – 1999
1999 – 2005
2005 – 2021
2021 – today
