The Dakota Wizards NBA D-League team will be relocating to Santa Cruz, California for the 2012-13 season and be re-branded as the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The Santa Cruz Warriors unveiled their new logo and branding at a press conference yesterday.
It should be noted that this move is not yet 100% official, all that’s remaining is for the City of Santa Cruz to sign off on the move, funding for the club’s arrival has already been approved making this a mere formality.
The Santa Cruz Warriors unveil their logo on June 12, 2012
The Warriors’ parent club, (you guessed it) the Golden State Warriors explained their reasons for relocating:
“We feel it is crucial for our team to move closer to the Bay Area (from Bismarck) and be closer to our NBA team in Oakland. This will allow for greater flexibility for our young players to move between the two teams and, overall, a more efficient system.”
The logo features the main base elements of the Golden State Warriors logo, the blue and gold colour scheme, the blue circle, and the same font for the team name below. The difference, a yellow trident in the shape of a “W” in place of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A “Mascot Challenge” is currently underway to select the new Santa Cruz Warriors’ mascot – you can enter that contest here.
So long to the Dakota Wizards...
The Dakota Wizards were a fairly successful franchise, having won 4 championships in the three different leagues they were a part of during their 17 seasons. The Golden State Warriors purchased the club prior to last season and immediately announced they would explore options to re-locate the team. The cost to buy the Wizards’ out of their lease in Bismarck, ND was only $40,000.
Article Categories:
Chris Creamer is the founder of SportsLogos.Net and has been maintaining it since June 1997. You can follow him on Twitter at @sportslogosnet or contact him via email at ccreamer@sportslogos.net
ingmar66
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 15:06The trident logo looks allright, but it's a pity they have the same nickname as the parent club (and the same ugly font). They should have thought of a different name starting with a W: Waves or something. Or Neptunes, Monarchs or Poseidons, Or Tridents, Nice to see Mr Logo in the picture, it is Jerry West, isn't it?
Pod
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 15:50Nitpicking - It's the Bay Bridge on the GS Warrior's logo, not the Golden Gate
pK
Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 14:42Wow, you go from using one NBA team's mascot to using another one all over again? Really?? You're telling me no one is creative enough to make up an original miserable mascot to match the rest in the NBDL?? The point is to make you feel "not good enough" so you will be play better to be picked up by a real NBA team. Call them the Santa Cruz Starfish or something.
Taylor
Friday, June 22, 2012 at 10:11wait... so is it the yellow one or the blue one?
Dude
Monday, August 6, 2012 at 02:36Bummed about the end of the Dakota Wizards - they were very popular in Bismarck, and had some of the biggest crowds of any NBA D-League team.
internet
Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 14:53I used to be suggested this web site through my cousin. I'm not positive whether this submit is written via him as no one else understand such designated approximately my trouble. You are amazing! Thank you!