NCCU Eagles Logo PNG
The NCCU Eagles logo highlights the university’s athletes, the central element is linked to the name, and the text emphasizes this. The eagle’s composition and the text symbolize constant readiness for attack and dynamism.
NCCU Eagles: Brand overview
The NCCU Eagles program began in 1910 in Durham, when James E. Shepard founded the school under its original name. From the first years, the eagle symbol and maroon-gray colors became part of campus identity. The first intercollegiate team appeared in 1911 with baseball, and in 1928 the school entered the CIAA, collecting 41 conference titles over the following decades.
Basketball developed into a key sport under coach John B. McLendon from 1940 to 1952, posting a 239–68 record. He introduced fast break play, zone pressure, and structured offensive sets that later spread across college basketball. In 1944, NCCU played Duke University Medical School in a secret game during segregation and won 88:44, an early example of interracial competition.
Sam Jones emerged as a leading player, later joining the Boston Celtics and winning multiple NBA titles. Track and field also gained national visibility under Leroy T. Walker, whose athletes produced Olympic medalists from 1956 to 1980 and maintained a steady pipeline to international competition.
In 1971, NCCU became a founding member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and won football titles in 1972 and 1973. The program left in 1979 to remain at the Division II level, then returned to Division I in 2007.
Basketball reached a major milestone in 1989 with the NCAA Division II championship after a 28–4 season and a final win over Southeast Missouri State. In Division I, the team won conference tournaments in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019, including its first NCAA Tournament victory in 2014.
Meaning and History
The current emblem of the university’s athletic organization was adopted in 2006. The image used directly relates to the group’s name and features a large eagle. This eagle serves as the central element.
The emblem also features a text element beneath the flying predator. The words are arranged in three tiers. The top line is the largest, displaying the university’s acronym “NCCU”. The middle tier is smaller, showing the second part of the name “Eagles.” The third is a phrase consisting of the expanded name of the higher education institution “North Carolina Central University.” The first two words are in maroon color, the third is black and placed in a long gray rectangle.
What is NCCU Eagles?
NCCU Eagles, more precisely North Carolina Central Eagles, is the athletic department of North Carolina Central University that comprises 14 teams competing in intercollegiate programs. It is located in Durham and competes at the NCAA Division I level (FCS), representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The golfers are members of the NEC.
1969 – 1987
1987 – 2005
2005 – today
Font and Colors
The eagle is depicted with large, spread wings. They are raised upwards as if in the moment of a stroke. The tail is fanned out and has a sharp, protruding tip. The bird’s claws grasp the central letters “CC.” The head is pointed downwards. The beak is half-open, with the tip of the tongue sticking out. All details are outlined in black. The internal strokes are in the same color. With its menacing appearance, the predator intimidates its enemy, signaling its readiness to attack.