SALT LAKE CITY – Dixie State Athletics has begun updating the Trailblazers’ social media accounts with a new logo for Utah Tech University’s upcoming rebrand.
On Sunday, May 15, the school unveiled new logos for its 2022 rebrand.
Dixie State will officially become Utah Tech on July 1. Utah Tech will retain the Trailblazers moniker.
As part of the rebranding, the Trailblazers began updating the names and logos on the social media accounts of each of the Trailblazers sports teams.
Trailblazers head football coach Paul Peterson posted on Twitter to share his excitement for the rebrand.
“Here we go… Fun to be a part of this @utahtechu rebrand,” Peterson tweeted. “Great things keep happening!”
The Trailblazers will continue to compete in Dixie State uniforms until the rebrand and name change becomes official in July.
Dixie State Unveils Utah Tech Rebranding Logos
As Dixie State University prepares to take on its new name of Utah Tech this summer, the school has unveiled its official logos for the renowned school.
A press release indicates that the school’s renowned logos first appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of DSU magazine.
Utah Tech will continue with its Trailblazer moniker and bison mascot. Both are integrated into the new logos.
Utah Tech University Logos (Courtesy of Utah Tech University)
The name change becomes official on July 1.
“We are proud to pass on the name of Utah Tech University which highlights the impactful active learning experiences and career preparation of every student across all of our more than 200 academic programs,” said the president. of the DSU, Richard B. Williams. “The Utah Tech brand builds on the legacy this institution has established over the past 111 years and will serve our students and our university well for generations to come.”
The new logo takes the shape of the state of Utah in “U”, the Utah Tech design.
The colors pay homage to the warm climate, red rocks and blue skies of Southern Utah and the cool temperatures of Northern Utah.
Why was the name changed?
The University decided to review the name in 2019 as protests against racial injustice erupted across the country following the death of Floyd George at the hands of the Minneapolis, MN police department.
This included a focus on Confederate symbols and monuments.
The change was prompted in part by university students and graduates who said that in the wider job market it was difficult to explain the name and connotations of Dixie. Some lawmakers spoke out against the change and there was a paid media campaign to keep it going.
Name change process
The name change was a complicated process that took two years. It included studies, public meetings, approval from the legislature, and eventually a signature from Governor Spencer Cox.
“This process has been one of the most visible, remarkable and comprehensive rebranding the state has ever seen,” said Julie Beck, chair of the name recommending committee. “It included three major studies, tens of thousands of completed surveys, approximately 1,000 focus group participants, and nearly two years of data collection and preparation.”
The release says the new logo and design are the result of consideration of hundreds of factors, including trademarks, name acronym and domain name availability.
“This new brand is the culmination of more than 100 years of relentless pioneering by the thousands of innovators who came before us,” said Dr. Jordon Sharp, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for DSU. “This is yet another example of our community’s willingness to sacrifice, pivot and chart a new and stronger course when needed.”
The University has made the new logos, screensavers and mobile backgrounds available for download here. utahtech.edu/brand
