Crown College Unveils New Athletic Logos, Nickname

Two years after it adopted the polar bear as its mascot, Crown College has unveiled new logos and renamed its athletic teams the Polars.

WE ARE THE POLARS 🐻‍❄️

We are thrilled to share our updated brand & nickname, the Polars!#GoPolars pic.twitter.com/mCMprSrh8P
— Crown College Polars (@CrownPolars) May 4, 2022

“As we move into this new decade of excellence and growth as a college, we’re determined to take our athletics program to the next level,” school president Andrew C. Denton said in a press release. “This updated brand and athletic identity represent the distinction and excellence we strive for in Crown athletics.”

Crown College is a private Christian college in St. Bonifacius, Minn., roughly 25 miles west of the Twin Cities. Its original nickname was the Crusaders, but that was changed in 2002 to the Storm, reflecting the harsh winters of the Upper Midwest.

As mentioned, “Storm the Polar Bear” became the school’s mascot in 2020 following a lengthy process that sought to highlight the campus’ natural environment. But with students, faculty and staff rallying around the mascot in the years since, the school decided to change its nickname, as well.

“The polar bear is family and community-oriented,” Denton said. “It is known for being playful yet fierce, quick yet methodical and strategic. Polar bears can withstand the harshest of weather and competition.”

To mark the occasion, Crown College enlisted Rickabaugh Graphics to create an entirely new logo set and wordmark. That includes the polar bear primary mark, which is complete with a tree line to highlight the 215 acres of land that encompass campus.

There’s also a full-body polar bear and two sets of claws, one holding a “C” and the other clenching the state of Minnesota, bringing to mind the Memphis Grizzlies’ alternate marks.

“We are thrilled to have a fresh, new logo and identity that allows us to enhance the Crown athletics brand visually,” athletic director Mike Vigue said. “We believe this is a foundational piece in helping to create a unique and distinct college athletic brand that Crown’s student-athletes, staff, alumni and future students will be proud to represent.”

Crown College has 16 varsity sports that compete at the NCAA Division III level. The Polars are members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, where they’ve won two championships in golf (2014-15).

Photos courtesy of @CrownPolars on Twitter.