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Last summer, the University of Nebraska approached Husker Athletics about collaborating on a unified brand, which became the Nebraska “N” – a standard that now represents the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as well as athletics.

Eight months later, Nebraska Athletics is announcing a restored secondary brand mark to complement the iconic N – the script Huskers, reminiscent of Nebraska football's glory days in the mid-1990s when Tom Osborne -coached teams won 60 of 63 games and claimed three national championships in a five-year span.

“We're excited about our choice and glad to come up with a secondary mark that reinforces everything our iconic N symbolizes,” said Lonna Kliment, director of Nebraska Athletics' licensing and branding. “The Nebraska N is by far the strongest logo we have, and that's why the University decided to come under that same umbrella.”

Kliment led a team effort to replace NU's secondary logo that resembled Mississippi State's logo. “We spent a lot of time coming up with a new secondary mark that complemented what we already had,” Kliment said. “It certainly weighed on me because I know the effect this decision has on my home state and my alma mater.

“The traditional script Huskers was a winner for several reasons,” Kliment said. “It represents the emotion from one of college football's greatest runs and all the excitement that goes with that. We wanted a simple iconic word mark that ties directly to what we've been trying to do here all along – honor the past and embrace the future in a progressive, unified way.”

Loyal Staff, Nebraska Fans Have Emotional Attachment to Huskers

The script Huskers helps Nebraska move forward in what Kliment calls renovated style. “This decision wasn't made lightly,” she said. “We wanted to leave the iconic 'N' alone because it's a proven part of who we are. We also researched enough to understand the emotional attachment our fans have with the script Huskers. Even though we live in a new world, our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans value tradition very highly. For our primary stakeholders, the 'N' personifies our national power and the Huskers script exemplifies our consistency, our culture and our character.”

Heidi Wetherbee , a Nebraska Athletics Marketing & Fan Experience associate, came to Nebraska as an outsider. “Even I recognized the script Huskers,” she said. “I wasn't even a Nebraska fan in the '90's…I was a Georgia girl. I didn't pay attention to Nebraska, but I looked on in envy. Even though I didn't pay attention to the logo, I still recognized it.”

Kliment expects the new secondary mark of Huskers script to be used much more broadly than the one the Department of Athletics is eliminating. “Our current football recruits are 17 and 18-year-olds, and they're already using this logo whenever they tweet or use social media,” she pointed out. “We also have coaches who are using it as a twitter handle because people can immediately relate to it.”

In addition to the script Huskers, Nebraska Athletics is also adding new “state markers” that feature the N inside the state's borders. The more closely Kliment examines the marketing/branding decision, one word keeps popping into her mind. “Unity,” she said. “We are the Huskers, and we are one. We're proud of everything that our 'N' and our Huskers script stand for. Both are universally representative of this wonderful state.

“Because there are no major professional sports teams in Nebraska, we represent everybody – from the Eastern part of the state to the Western Panhandle,” Kliment said. “We spread red in every corner. Together, we are truly unified because we are a team of fans who stand up and support this program with loyalty, passion and respect.”

To see the full sheet of licensed marks head here.

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