Florida State University has several logotypes. In addition to the university seal, there is also the signature and the athletic emblems.
The university seal comprises burning torches with a banner featuring the Latin text “Vires, artes, mores” (meaning “Strength, Skill, Character” in English). All these are encircled with the lettering “Florida State University 1851.”
Although the Florida State University logo has undergone a modification in 2009, the main symbols remained where they were. The outer ring grew thinner in order to create a softer-edge transition, while the type was replaced by the Adobe Garamond font. Also, the color palette was altered.
The seal can be used with the university signature next to it or below. In addition to the full-color seal, its all-gold 3D version is also widely used.
The athletic teams representing the school are called the Florida State Seminoles. Although their logotype shares the color palette with the seal, it is completely different in both the mood and imagery.
Since the early 1970s, the primary logo has featured a side view of a shouting Native American in a circle, who was supposed to belong to the Seminole tribe. In fact, the side view was modeled not on a Native American, but on the Florida State University professor Thomas Wright, who is also the author of the university’s Fight Song and Victory Song.
The athletic FSU logo has undergone a subtle facelift in 1990 involving mostly the color palette. The 2014 redesign was more profound. The side view itself was replaced by a new one, with a new haircut. The feather became golden, while the name of the university disappeared from it.
We should also mention the alternative Seminoles logos. One of them resembles the primary logo, yet features a female face. There is also a wordmark that sports the letters “FSU” going down in steps. The lower bar on the “F” resembles an arrow, which emphasizes the Native American motif.
The two preferred types are Adobe Garamond Pro and Benton Sans, while Times New Roman and Arial are cited as the fallback options.
There are four primary colors mentioned in the University brand guidelines: garnet (Pantone 195 C, Hex 782F40), gold (Pantone 7502C, Hex CEB888), black (Pantone Process Black C, Hex 2C2A29), and white (Hex FFFFFF). All the four are used in the Florida State University logo and seals.
While the men’s baseball team has historically been overshadowed by the popularity of the football program, it has grown more successful in the recent years. The Seminoles have made seventeen National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament appearances and have competed in the Round of 32 ten times.
The women’s team has made eighteen tournament appearances. It won the Atlantic Coast Conference season titles twice. Moreover, they competed in the Elite Eight round three times.
Football is often named the university’s most successful athletic program, which is to a large extend due to the period between 1993 and 2001 when they played in five national championships. It was fielded back in 1902. The list of players from FSU who later went on to NFL careers is very long. It includes Fred Biletnikoff, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Anquan Boldin, and Kelvin Benjamin, to name just a few.
The school is very proud of its baseball program, and for a reason. So far, it has been among the most successful ones in collegiate sports. It has competed in the national championship final three times, having played in twenty-three College World Series.
What is more, the school’s baseball team has been the winningest program in college baseball since 2000. They have more victories and a higher winning percentage in the regular season than any of their rivals.