East Carolina Pirates Logo

East Carolina Pirates LogoEast Carolina Pirates Logo PNG

East Carolina takes pride in the achievements of its athletes, making up the East Carolina Pirates team, whose logo accurately reflects the essence of the name. Since 1988, they have been creating a memorable image associated with the geographical location and history of the region.

East Carolina Pirates: Brand overview

Founded:1988
Headquarters:
Greenville, North Carolina, U.S.
Website:ecupirates.com

The East Carolina Pirates is the sports department of East Carolina University. It includes eleven women’s and nine men’s teams, which joined the American Athletic Conference in 2014. The recently created women’s lacrosse team became a league member in 2019. ECU joined the NCAA in 1961 and currently participates in Division I/FBS.

Meaning and History

East Carolina Pirates Logo History

The name Pirates is linked to the geographical location of the educational institution, which is in North Carolina, where the infamous Blackbeard once lived. In fact, the nickname was approved in 1934. In 1983, they tried to change the name to Pee Dee, the Pirate, but students did not support such an initiative.

The East Carolina University team chose the pirate name in 1934 to highlight the historical connection of the region with sea raiders. At the time of the late colonization of North America, many attacks were made on ships transporting goods to England. Moreover, the pirate theme reflects such essential qualities as courage, fearlessness, determination, and team spirit, which help achieve success at work. It symbolizes freedom and rebellion, which attracts the youth, especially students.

The East Carolina Pirates use various elements associated with sea raiders in their symbolism. Skulls, bones, bandanas, swords, wide-brimmed hats, and eye patches are what most team logos are based on. Some images were supplemented with custom-made inscriptions. Sometimes, you could see a pirate in full height, sometimes just the head. In 2014, the emblem became a parody of the Jolly Roger. It’s an important symbol that helps create a bright and memorable brand image.

What is East Carolina Pirates Logo?

The East Carolina Pirates is the name of the sports team representing East Carolina University, located in Greenville, North Carolina. The university is one of the largest and most recognizable in the state, thanks to a successful sports program that began over 90 years ago with the creation of a football team in 1932. Then came basketball, baseball, and other sports teams. The “East Carolina Pirates” have a rich history of sports achievements, including six football victories in conferences, over 20 championship titles in various sports, and participation in 13 postseason basketball tournaments. The team is an important part of North Carolina’s sports culture and attracts talented student-athletes from across the country. The East Carolina Pirates continue to grow and reach new heights in various sports, including American football, allowing them to hold a place among the best NCAA teams.

1971 – 1980

East Carolina Pirates Logo 1971

The emblem features a pirate with a white face, highlighted by purple wrinkle lines, the outline of the right eye, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and long mustaches. The left eye is covered with a dark bandana, indicating the sea robber’s battle experience. The menacing look and dagger clenched in the teeth promise trouble for anyone daring to clash with the East Carolina Pirates. One ear of the man has a large gold earring – a typical pirate accessory. The other ear is covered by a yellow bandana, hanging sideways and tied on the forehead. His head is adorned with a purple hat with a white pattern, the so-called Jolly Roger.

1980 – 1983

East Carolina Pirates Logo 1980

The style of the emblem changed. The pirate is no longer young but old: his face is covered with wrinkles. His skin has become beige, and there’s stubble on his chin. The wild hair sticking out in all directions, bushy eyebrows, and large unkempt mustaches complete the image of a wild sea-robber. The artist made the dagger in his teeth yellow to stand out better and added a gold line on the upper brim of the hat. The image of the skull and bones was also reworked: it became more clearly defined.

1983 – 1998

East Carolina Pirates Logo 1983

The proud pirate appears before sports fans at full height – so you can see how strong and muscular he is. He wears a purple tunic with yellow cuffs and lapels. Underneath is a classic sailor’s vest in black and white stripes. On his legs are yellow pants and black boots. The raider’s accessories include a belt with a gold buckle, a round earring, and an eye patch. The Jolly Roger, which used to be depicted on the purple hat, has been replaced by a yellow “ECU” inscription. The pirate is moving forward with clenched fists and rolled-up sleeves as if ready for hand-to-hand combat. Thanks to the new cartoonish design, the character looks more modern.

1998 – 2009

East Carolina Pirates Logo 1998

In this logo, the pirate takes a secondary place – only his reduced head is visible, which is moved to the upper left corner. Most of the space is occupied by the purple word “PIRATES,” consisting of capital letters with unusual triangular serifs. Below is a sword with a hilt resembling an inflated sail. At the top right is a two-level inscription, “EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY”. It is made in small and thin font with large spacing between the letters. All elements, except this phrase, are surrounded by a golden halo.

2009 – 2014

East Carolina Pirates Logo 2009

The colors became darker than in the previous version. As a result, the logo is better seen on a light background. The graphic elements and inscriptions remained unchanged.

2014 – today

East Carolina Pirates Logo

In 2014, many university teams underwent rebranding. The East Carolina Pirates also introduced their new logo during the offseason, which appeared on helmets and sports arenas. Now, its sole element is a stylized Jolly Roger in a pirate hat with the letters “E,” “C,” and “U.” Surprisingly, the skull has a lively expression: it grins, showing two rows of strong teeth. One eye socket looks as if the skull is menacingly frowning. It also has a gold earring and a kerchief blowing in the wind. This sign reflects the pride and grandeur of the team.

Basketball was the first intercollegiate sport sponsored by East Carolina University. In 1947, the men’s team joined the North State Conference NAIA and, six years later, won the conference championship title. It also participated twice in NCAA tournaments: in 1972 and 1993. The women’s team also participated twice in NCAA Division I basketball tournaments: in 1982 and 2007. The women’s home games are held at Williams Arena at the Minges Coliseum.

The ECU Pirates football team was first introduced in 1932. Since then, it has won two C-USA conference championships, undergoing a long journey of victories and defeats. The team’s coach is now Mike Houston. The home stadium is Bagwell Field at the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

East Carolina Pirates: Interesting Facts

The East Carolina Pirates are a sports team from East Carolina University (ECU). They play in big college competitions and are part of the American Athletic Conference. Here’s what’s cool about them:

  1. Lots of Sports: They have teams for many sports, such as football, basketball, and soccer. This shows that they care about giving students a chance to play and compete.
  2. Football: The football team is good. They’ve won many games and championships. Their stadium is famous for being loud, making it hard for other teams to play there.
  3. Mascot and School Spirit: Their mascot, PeeDee, the Pirate, is fun, and everyone loves him. They have a fight song and special traditions that make students, alumni, and fans feel connected.
  4. Famous Athletes: Some former students, like Chris Johnson and David Garrard, became pro athletes in the NFL. They’re pretty famous and made the school proud.
  5. Tailgating: People love to tailgate before football games. They set up early with lots of food and decorations, making it a big party.
  6. Helping the Community: The teams help in their city and the wider area, doing good things for people. This strengthens the bond between the university and the community.
  7. Women’s Sports: The women’s teams are also amazing, especially in swimming and diving. They’ve won lots of championships.
  8. Rivalries: The Pirates have big rivals, especially N.C. State. These games are a huge deal, and lots of people come to watch.
  9. New Challenges: In 2014, the Pirates moved to a new conference, which brought new teams to play against and new challenges.
  10. Studying Hard: ECU ensures athletes do well in school, not just sports. They help them with tutoring and advising, showing it’s important to be good at both.

The East Carolina Pirates have a large community of fans and a tradition of winning. They care about their athletes’ success in sports and school.

Font and Colors

East Carolina Pirates symbol

The 2014 East Carolina University logo uses a slightly modified version of the Matrix Extra Bold font. The letters are adapted to the cartoonish style of drawing. This is the university’s official font, which is sometimes combined with Gotham in its identity.

The primary colors of the East Carolina Pirates are gold (#FFC702 or #FDC82F for coated paper) and purple (#592A8A). They were chosen by a student committee in 1909 and are present in almost all graphic signs of the educational institution. In the 2014 emblem, these colors are combined with black and white.

East Carolina Pirates emblem

East Carolina Pirates color codes

Purple HeartHex color:#582C83
RGB:88 44 31
CMYK:33 66 0 49
Pantone:PMS 526 C
SunglowHex color:#fdc82f
RGB:253 200 47
CMYK:0 21 81 1
Pantone:PMS 7408 C
BlackHex color:#000000
RGB:0 0 0
CMYK:0 0 0 100
Pantone:PMS Process Black C