The UCF athletic department unveiled a new secondary logo on Wednesday evening that is effectively an update to the mark has been in use since 2007.
“We wanted to pump some life and attitude into the ‘Knighthead’ logo by modernizing the already existing look,” associate athletics director for brand advancement Jimmy Skiles said in a statement.
The logo, which was designed by UCF’s in-house creative team, was the culmination of a six-month process sparked by the university’s interest in joining the Big XII. The Knights will become an official member of the conference in either 2023 or 2024, alongside BYU, Cincinnati and Houston.
“Overall, the new ‘Knighthead’ logo is more expressive, with a straight-on aggressive stare and new intimidating eyes,” UCF brand designer Emma Schneider said. “We reference the university’s connections to the space program and the university motto, ‘Reach for the Stars’ with the Polaris star in the center chest, and subtly in the shape of the shoulders.
“Many of the ‘Knighthead’ logo’s original characteristics still remain. The hair, the upper helmet, and the grills within the facemask are all still there, making it not necessarily a brand new ‘Knighthead’ logo, but an updated version that looks more focused and determined.”
The new secondary logo – which will complement UCF’s stacked logo, Knights wordmark and Script Knights – will be seen across the athletic department and on merchandise next fall.
The current secondary mark will be phased out this academic year, meanwhile.
Photos courtesy of @UCFKnights on Twitter.