ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany today unveiled a refreshed brand identity that is expected to energize Great Dane fans, alumni and supporters across the country for years to come.

"This new brand identity truly exemplifies our culture of developing our student-athletes into Great Leaders, Great Champions and Great Danes," said Director of Athletics Mark Benson. "The addition of a strong and recognizable brand is an essential step in that continued success."

In July of 2019, UAlbany Athletics entered into a five-year partnership with Under Armour through BSN SPORTS. This groundbreaking agreement included the opportunity to work with Varsity Brand's design division, VIP Branding, on an updated set of logos for the Great Danes. "The opportunity to refresh our brand is just one of the many great benefits of our partnership with Under Armour and BSN SPORTS," added Benson.

Soon after entering into the new agreement, a committee of campus leaders representing Athletics, Student Affairs, the Alumni Association and University Marketing was formed to begin the design process. The team was tasked with assisting VIP Branding to develop the new brand identity. During the design process, the committee gathered critical feedback from multiple constituents including the President's Council, the Alumni Association Board, University Auxiliary Services, the Student Affairs Committee, the Student Association, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Athletics Department and the Great Dane Athletic Club Board.

"I want to thank our campus wide committee, Helen Price, Kaiti Rochford and all of the VIP Branding team for helping us develop this new brand," said Benson. "We are particularly appreciative of Griffith Hunter, our Assistant AD for Marketing, for his leadership throughout the process." 

"VIP Branding was proud to partner with UAlbany through the rebranding process," said Vice President of VIP Branding Helen Price. "We use a collaborative approach that updates, reinvigorates and breathes life back into existing branding. We re-imagine and create something new while paying homage to your past, where alumni can pass the torch to a new generation with a powerful brand that embodies traditions as it forges new paths. It is part of our business culture, as is our belief, that a strong brand not only ignites excitement, but also generates exposure and increases support."

The new brand identity was set to debut on uniforms this fall, unfortunately, with the continued developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the recent postponement of fall sports by the America East and CAA, fans will have to wait to see the new brand on uniforms when competition resumes. "To say the last few months have been difficult is an understatement," added Benson. "But during this time of uncertainty, we truly hope today's announcement will give our fans something to look forward to when we're able to get back and compete safely."

Fans can purchase new UAlbany gear online now at GreatDanesGear.com