Illinois State Redbirds Logo

Illinois State Redbirds LogoIllinois State Redbirds Logo PNG

The Illinois State Redbirds logo highlights athletes from 19 of the university’s teams and features a cartoon version of the mascot, made into a threatening expression for an opponent. The identity focuses on the state itself and the affiliation of the teams, as well as on the name.

Illinois State Redbirds: Brand overview

Founded: 1980
Headquarters:
Normal, Illinois, U.S.
Website: goredbirds.com

Nineteen Illinois State Redbirds teams represent Illinois State University in the Division I NCAA. Moreover, almost all of them participate in the Missouri Valley Conference. The exceptions are programs in football, men’s tennis, and women’s gymnastics: the first belongs to the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the second to the Summit League, and the third to the Midwest Independent Conference.

They are united by the common name Redbirds, which hints at the cardinal bird. At first, the sports department was called Cardinals, since red, along with white, was the university’s main color. But the nickname had to be changed so that there would be no associations with St. Louis Cardinals.

Meaning and History

Illinois State Redbirds Logo History

The Illinois State Redbirds logo depicts the same mysterious “Redbird” that is mentioned in the name. Early versions of the red bird began to appear as early as the 1930s. True, these prototypes barely resembled what is used now: they either exactly repeated the emblem of St. Louis Cardinals or looked like realistic illustrations of a cardinal sitting on a branch. Only in the 1980s, the sports department approved a permanent logo, which has been modernized several times since then.

What is Illinois State Redbirds?

Illinois State Redbirds consists of 19 teams participating in intercollegiate programs, representing Illinois State University. They compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Football players participate in FCS NCAA and play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They are located in Normal, Illinois.

1980 – 1995

Illinois State Redbirds Logo 1980-1995

At the end of the 20th century, the central place on the emblem was taken by an anthropomorphic red bird, stretching out its hand with a raised thumb. She was the main symbol of the teams until the mid-1990s. To make the image meaningful, the designers added additional elements: a large white ring with black outlines and the inscription “ISU.”

1996 – 2004

Illinois State Redbirds Logo 1996-2004

The redesign, which took place in 1996, brought several significant changes. First, the artists redrew the bird and removed the hand. Secondly, the full name of the teams appeared in place of the abbreviation. Moreover, the words “ILLINOIS STATE” were depicted in block letters and were located between two red stripes, and “Redbirds” was written in a font imitating calligraphic handwriting and was located at the bottom.

2005 – today

Illinois State Redbirds Logo 2005-Present

Experimenting with the emblem once again, the designers left the red bird alone. They just moved it a little to the right so that the big red lettering “ILLINOIS STATE” would fit the left with a small white lettering “REDBIRDS” on a black background.

Illinois State Redbirds Basketball Logo

Illinois State Redbirds Basketball Logo

The men’s basketball team is best known for having played in fourteen Conference Regular Season Champions, four Conference Tournament Champions, and six NCAA Tournament Appearances. The women were equally active: debuting in 1971, she managed to take part in five NCAA Tournaments, twelve WNITs and won four times in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Font and Colors

Illinois State Redbirds Emblem

From the evolution of the Illinois State Redbirds logo, you can trace how the cardinal character changed. At first, the bird smiled affably and showed an approving gesture – a raised thumb. Then she became formidable, even fierce, and a red light lit up in her eyes. Also, the artists conveyed aggression with the help of a low-tilted head and tightly clenched teeth. This was to express the spirit of competition, raise the fighting spirit of the university teams, and scare opponents.

Illinois State Redbirds color codes

Fire Engine Red Hex color: #ce142b
RGB: 206 20 43
CMYK: 0 90 79 19
Pantone: PMS 185 C
Cavendish Yellow Hex color: #f6da17
RGB: 246 218 23
CMYK: 0 11 91 4
Pantone: PMS 108 C
Black Hex color: #000000
RGB: 0 0 0
CMYK: 0 0 0 100
Pantone: PMS Process Black C