SMU Mustangs Logo PNG
The SMU Mustangs chose the logo to match their name because these horses were very common in the region where the sports club is from. They also became the local mascot, symbolizing the will to win, high speed, resilience, and endurance. And, when paired with the color red, this emblem inspires confidence in achieving the desired goals.
The SMU Mustangs trace their history to 1911, when Southern Methodist University was founded in Dallas, Texas. The Mustang nickname appeared the same year, after a university employee reportedly compared the football players to wild mustangs during practice. SMU played its first football season in 1915 under Ray Morrison and lost its opener 43-0 to Texas Christian University.
In 1918, SMU joined the Southwest Conference. By 1935, the Mustangs finished 12-0 and were named national champions by several rating systems. The program added conference titles in 1940, 1947, and 1948, reaching the Cotton Bowl Classic in both 1947 and 1948. The 1947 game against Penn State ended in a 13-13 tie, while SMU defeated Oregon 21-13 the next year.
Doak Walker became the defining figure of the late 1940s. In 1948, he won the Heisman Trophy, the only SMU player to receive the award. The early 1980s brought another peak with Eric Dickerson and Craig James, known as the “Pony Express.” From 1980 to 1984, SMU went 45-5-1, while the team was named national champion by some selectors in 1981 and 1982.
The rise ended with the NCAA “death penalty” on February 25, 1987, after illegal payments to players. SMU canceled its 1987 and 1988 seasons and spent decades rebuilding. After the Southwest Conference collapsed in 1996, the Mustangs moved through the WAC and Conference USA before joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013. In 2023, Rhett Lashlee led SMU to its first conference title in 39 years. On July 1, 2024, SMU entered the ACC, reached the conference title game, and made its first College Football Playoff appearance.
Meaning and History
The first Southern Methodist University teams were called Parsons, but that was not their official name. This nickname was chosen because theology students comprised most of the university’s athletic department. Only after SMU basketball players won a state championship did university officials consider a permanent name and mascot.
Community members devised many ideas: Comanches, Rams, Bulls, and Rattlers. But after careful selection, the number was reduced to three, and they were asked to choose their favorite version. The Mustangs’ version was voted ahead of the Bisons’ and Greyhounds’. This event took place in the fall of 1917.
The author of the winning mascot (and thus the name) was Dorothy Amann, secretary to Robert Stewart Hyer, the university’s head. Once, while watching the athletes train, she was surprised by their resemblance to a herd of wild mustangs that live on the Texas prairies and run across the field just as friskily. It’s a hardy, fast-footed, goal-oriented animal that’s very common in the state. The mascot has remained unchanged, but the logo has been adjusted several times.
What is SMU Mustangs?
SMU Mustangs is the athletic department of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. It has existed since 1911. It was started by soccer players, who were eventually joined by rowers, basketball players, horse riders, golfers, and others. As of 2022, there were 17 teams.
1968 – 1982
The freedom-loving mustang is the basis of the Southern Methodist University athletic department’s identity. It is depicted as it runs: the horse gallops at full gallop, heading in the right direction. The drawing is contoured, showing only the animal’s general silhouette, not its detailed body parts. All the elements seem to be merged into a single red spot. Only the tension conveyed by the figure’s location is traceable. Next to the mustang’s knee is the trademark symbol, indicating that the emblem is the property of the rightful owner and cannot be used by unauthorized persons.
1982 – 2007
The designers reduced the horse’s proportions and added two inscriptions. They placed them at the top and bottom, indicating the name of the Southern Methodist University athletic department. To prevent the text from blending into the Mustang’s silhouette, the designers colored both lines blue. They chose a bold, italic, sans-serif font.
2007 – 2012
The redesign of the SMU logo brought a slightly darker shade of red, as it had previously been a couple of shades lighter. In addition, the “TM” designation disappeared. The copyright mark took its place, the letter C in a solid ring.
2012 – today
It is based on the previous emblem, so the new version repeats it exactly, except for the copyright sign. The designers moved it lower, no longer near a horse’s knee but opposite a hoof.
Once the mascot was approved, it became firmly embedded in the visual identity of Southern Methodist University sports teams. That is why the mustang never disappeared from the logo: even its body position did not change. This image conveys athletes’ confidence, highlighting their strength, power, endurance, and stamina, all of which are crucial to them.
Font and Colors
The lettering appears only on one SMU logo. The top is in a typeface reminiscent of the Acronym Extrablack Italic from AE Type Inc. The line at the bottom resembles the Sequel Sans Head Black Oblique font from the OGJ Type Design studio.
The university’s signature colors were chosen for the emblem. They are Harvard crimson and Yale blue. They were suggested by the first president, Robert Stewart Hyer. He chose noble shades so the university would meet the high standards of Ivy League institutions.