At gunpoint, I'd say the guy on the left was a sea captain, or maybe the Gorton's Fisherman. With Appalachian State moving up to the FBS next season, they needed something a little more evocative of "mountaineer." So they're switching to the guy on the right, presumably after an intense design competition featuring many magic markers and cocktail napkins.


Appalachian State made the announcement on the Friday after Thanksgiving, perhaps hoping no one would notice. SportsLogos.net noticed, and put together the helpful before-and-after image above.

The bearded fellow is Yosef, a representation of the Mountaineers' mascot. "Vintage Yosef," resembling the secondary logo the school used in the '70s, made an appearance as part of a throwback night in 2012. He proved so popular, he's coming back permanently as "Victory Yosef," replacing the mark the school has used since 1999.

"The excitement that Victory Yosef has generated among our students, alumni and fans since we introduced it as a throwback logo last fall has been overwhelming," Appalachian State director of athletics Charlie Cobb said. "Due to its popularity, it only made sense to make Victory Yosef a permanent part of our branding. We hope that it endures as a recognizable mark of Appalachian athletics for years to come."


App State will still use their "block A" as their primary logo, but as the Mountaineers join the Sun Belt in 2014, Victory Yosef will be around to give you the side-eye.

[SportsLogos.net]