The Lindenwood Lions logo symbolizes strength, perseverance, and a competitive spirit, reflecting the university’s athletic and educational traditions. It conveys the energy and drive for victory characteristic of students ready to overcome challenges. The university has become a place where academic and athletic achievements go hand in hand, and the emblem unites a community that values teamwork and determination.
Lindenwood Lions: Brand overview
The history of the Lindenwood Lions began in the early 1900s with the start of Lindenwood University’s athletic program. The institution expanded its athletic department significantly in the 1970s, forming its first teams. The lion was chosen as the team’s emblem to represent the strength and honor the university sought to inspire in its athletes.
In 1989, the university’s sports program grew further with the addition of new sports, including track and field, basketball, and soccer. During this time, the institution began making substantial investments in athletic facilities.
The 1990s marked a period of rapid growth. Lindenwood teams gained access to more prominent competitions after joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). New facilities were built, including a stadium and an athletic complex.
In the early 2000s, the athletic program expanded further, with around 20 sports offered by 2003. Teams achieved considerable national success, increasing student interest in the sports programs.
In 2010, the university began transitioning from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, marking a pivotal year for Lindenwood. This transition required raising standards for athletic programs and making significant investments in infrastructure. The teams became full members of NCAA Division II in 2013.
From 2015 to 2020, the university’s sports teams enjoyed strong seasons, winning multiple national championships across various sports. Lindenwood athletes earned 13 national titles in individual sports during this period, marking a high point for the program.
By 2023, approximately 1,100 student-athletes were competing in 39 sports offered by the university. The institution continues to invest in athletic facilities and support for its athletes. Teams regularly perform well in NCAA Division II competitions.
Throughout its history, Lindenwood’s athletic program has achieved notable success in both team and individual sports. The university’s strong athletic legacy attracts talented athletes from across the nation.
Meaning and History
What is Lindenwood Lions?
This is the name of the teams representing Lindenwood University’s athletic program. The program includes a wide range of sports teams—from football and basketball to unique offerings such as men’s rugby and women’s gymnastics—fostering a competitive spirit in venues like Hunter Stadium and Hyland Arena. The Lions’ athletic department is distinguished by its comprehensive approach to developing student-athletes. In addition to traditional sports, the program has earned recognition for outstanding achievements in nontraditional collegiate disciplines, making it a unique participant in collegiate athletics.
2004 – 2010
The Lindenwood Lions logo features a strong and expressive design that embodies the spirit and strength of their athletic teams. The lion’s head on the emblem symbolizes courage, determination, and leadership—qualities expected from a university team defending the honor of its institution.
The lion is shown in profile, facing right, giving an impression of forward movement and a drive for victory. The lion appears fierce and confident, with bared teeth and narrowed eyes, showing readiness for battle. This aggressive yet noble expression represents a commitment to leadership and a readiness to win. The image emphasizes the competitiveness and focus of the university’s student-athletes.
The logo uses dark and light gold shades, symbolizing greatness, wealth, and pride. These colors are connected to the university’s traditions and values, conveying Lindenwood’s prestige and honor. Black outlines give the image depth and emphasis, highlighting each detail, including the curves and shape of the lion’s head. The combination of black and gold adds dignity to the emblem, emphasizing the team’s serious and dedicated approach to each competition.
The lion’s dark red tongue adds drama and energy. The thick mane, depicted with dynamic lines swept back, gives the logo a sense of speed and power, emphasizing movement and the forward momentum that reflects the spirit of the university and its athletic teams.
This visual mark has become a true symbol of the Lindenwood Lions, uniting students, alumni, and fans. The lion—a symbol of strength and determination—is a mascot that reflects pride in the university and its athletic achievements.
2010 – 2018
The Lindenwood Lions logo underwent updates from 2010 to 2018, highlighting its modernity and emphasizing its connection to Lindenwood University. Unlike the previous design, which used two shades of gold, the new visual mark adopted a single gold shade, giving the emblem a more cohesive and streamlined appearance. This color unification enhanced visual recognition and added a touch of additional style to the visual image.
The main distinction was adding the name “Lindenwood” at the bottom of the logo. The university name is displayed in bold, clear type, which adds confidence and solidity. This element makes the emblem more informative by indicating the team’s university affiliation. The large, expressive font with a noticeable slant emphasizes the dynamism and strength of the athletic spirit upheld by the university.
The updated logo retained the strength and determination symbolized by the lion while strengthening its connection to the educational institution.
2018 – 2021
The logo, updated in 2018, has a more simplified and clean look compared to the previous version. One noticeable change was the removal of the gold outline around the lion’s head, which gives the image a lighter and more modern appearance. This change made the logo simpler and sharper while preserving the university’s recognizable symbol.
The lion image remained but now appears more streamlined, focusing on the silhouette and aggressive expression. The lion’s roar, sharp teeth, and intense gaze remain prominent, embodying athletic strength and the drive to win.
Changes also affected the “Lindenwood” text below the lion image. The font stayed bold and slanted, conveying dynamism, but the spacing between letters increased slightly. This makes the text more readable and gives it a strict and confident look. The font took on a slightly lighter shade of gold, which looks modern while preserving traditional design elements associated with prestige and grandeur.
The new visual mark became more minimalist and adapted to contemporary design trends.
2021 – today
The updated Lindenwood Lions emblem, introduced in 2021, underwent significant compositional changes, giving it a bolder and more vibrant look. In this version, the lion’s head takes center stage, now positioned above the “LINDENWOOD” text centered at the bottom. This design choice makes the lion an even more dominant element in the visual image, emphasizing its strength and determination.
The outline around the head, absent in the 2018 version, has returned. This adds an extra dimension and highlights the lion’s head within the team’s visual identity. The lion’s mane is depicted with dynamic lines as if capturing its movement, conveying energy and power. Part of the mane and head overlaps the area with the text, creating a “3D” effect that adds depth to the logo. At the same time, the text remains sharp and readable, thanks to its strategic placement, enhancing the overall cohesion and harmony of the composition.
The “LINDENWOOD” text is rendered in large capital letters, bold and slanted. This visual impact makes the logo appear stronger and more expressive. With its central placement, the text appears slightly larger than in previous versions, helping to visually balance the lion figure and the text, forming a unified composition.
The new emblem successfully preserves the team’s spirit and symbolism — strength, leadership, and determination, which have always been associated with the university and its athletic achievements.
Lindenwood Hockey NCAA Logo
The team’s history began at the club level, but in the 2022–2023 season, the university moved its hockey program to NCAA Division I, marking a significant step for Lindenwood sports. Now, the Lions team plays home games at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, where they train under the same conditions as the professionals from the St. Louis Blues. This level of preparation and facilities helps the athletes improve and draws attention to their program.
The Lindenwood Hockey NCAA logo embodies strength and determination, representing the university’s and its athletes’ character. At the center of the composition is an aggressive lion’s head, symbolizing pride and leadership. The strong, powerful lion with its open jaws symbolizes the team’s fighting spirit and readiness to battle on the ice.
The team’s emblem aligns with the primary visual mark of the entire athletic department. However, “ICE HOCKEY” sometimes appears in a slightly smaller font below the name, indicating the team’s specialization and association with hockey.