Hartford Hawks Logo PNG
Speed, quick reflexes, and efficiency in making the right tactical decisions are inherent to the “Hartford Hawks” and are fully reflected in the logo. The mascot, adopted in 1984, accompanies the University of Hartford teams even in its new concise design.
Athletics at the University of Hartford began in the 1940s when it was still Hillyer College. Games were held on the fourth floor of the Chauncey Harris School, where fans climbed several stairways to reach the court known as the “Hawk’s Nest”. The Hawks’ nickname grew from that setting. In 1957, Hillyer merged with the Hartford Art School and the Hartt School to form the university while retaining its identity.
Basketball started in 1949 and developed at the NCAA Division I level after earlier success in Division II, including four straight tournament appearances from 1972 to 1975. Baseball produced Jeff Bagwell, who played from 1987 to 1989, earned All-American honors, and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox before a career with the Houston Astros and Hall of Fame induction in 2017. In basketball, Vin Baker played from 1989 to 1993, became the program’s top scorer, and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, then went on to a 14-season NBA career.
The university moved to Division I in 1984 and later joined the America East Conference after several conference changes. Women’s basketball under Jen Rizzotti from 1999 recorded multiple titles, including a tournament win in 2006 and a 20-game streak in 2010. Some teams also competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the Big Sky Conference.
In 2021, men’s basketball won the conference tournament as the No. 4seed and entered the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time, defeating Binghamton, UAlbany, Vermont, and UMass Lowell before facing Baylor. Soon after, the program announced a move to Division III, to be completed by 2025.
Meaning and History
The image of a hawk is a unifying element of all sports logos. The 1984-2014 version contains an abstract image of the bird. Jagged red lines form its silhouette. At the bottom is a filled rectangle with the white two-line inscription Hartford Hawks. The new team emblem was introduced in 2015. The emblem has two elements: the capital letter “H” and a hawk.
“H” is red with a black outline, corresponding to the university’s official colors. The horizontal bar is stylized as a bird’s head with a white eye and a large beak. Four stripes of varying lengths extend from it, creating a visual illusion of movement.
What is Hartford Hawks?
The Hartford Hawks is a sports department that unites 17 student teams from the University of Hartford. It participates in NCAA Division I competitions in West Hartford, Connecticut. The athletes are part of the Commonwealth Coast Conference.
1984 – 2014
2015 – today
Hartford Hawks Soccer
One of the women’s team’s main achievements was participating in the 1992 College Cup. The team has been the regular-season champions of the America East Conference three times, the America East Tournament champions seven times, and the NCAA Tournament champions 13 times. The men’s team has twice been the regular-season champion of the America East and four times been the champion of both the America East and the NCAA Tournament.