Since UConn adopted the Husky mascot in 1935, the university has had six different logos for its athletic teams, dating back to 1959. While some prefer the sleek, minimalist design of the new 2013 logo, others love the just plain minimalist 1959 sad dog Jonathan. In between those two, there have been some iconic logos that now symbolize key parts of the University of Connecticut’s rich history. But which one is the greatest of all time? Our team of writers have their takes:
Stratton Stave
he/him
Campus Correspondent
Sad Dog (1959)
The Sad Dog should hold a special place in all of our hearts. It features perhaps the most handsome husky of them all and serves as the original UConn logo. Although UConn only kept the logo for one year (I can’t imagine why), it is still the top choice. The dog has a stoic look and looks fierce enough to kill any other school’s logo. Okay, that was a joke. This dog is not the most handsome, or fierce, but it is completely hilarious. The logo looks flat-out confused as to why it was put into existence. The dog features both no expressions at all and every expression all at once. It looks a little too human for my comfort, but is hysterical, likely why it only lasted for a year, but the comedic aspect makes it the best logo.
Evan Rodriguez
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Title: Campus Correspondent
Classic Blue and White (2002-2013)
This is, in my opinion, the obvious choice and the pinnacle of UConn logos. This logo represents the golden years of UConn sports where Husky legends played, including NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and even ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this beautiful dog, whether it’s the beautiful fur of the husky or the hanging red tongue. It improves on everything that the previous logo had, which makes the former look like a sketch drawing. With just a bit of color and the lack of a background, you couldn’t have a better logo. There’s a reason that the university carries so much merchandise with this symbol still placed proudly upon it. It is that iconic.
Cole Stefan
He/Him/His
Campus Correspondent
The Patriot Husky (1960s)
What better way to mesh New England history and the Connecticut Huskies together than with a Husky dressed up like a colonial citizen from Jamestown. At the time, the University of Connecticut was one of the premiere schools in the northeast alongside the Ivy League schools, Boston College and Boston University. This logo is highly underrated in UConn’s illustrious history, which is not as surprising when comparing it to other logos UConn has used like the sad dog and the championship winning husky. This Patriot Husky not only represents the state of Connecticut, it represents the values of freedom that we share. Imagine this logo on a player’s retro jacket from Mitchell and Ness. People would comment that they look very dapper in that drip. I’ll leave you with this, though, I would love to see the modern Husky logo fitted on this Patriot Husky as a possible secondary logo.
Ajeeth Vellore
Campus Correspondent
Classic Black and White (1980s-1990s)
There is something pretty in the understated nature of the logo from the 90s. It’s a beautifully done hand-drawn sketch, where the features of the mane of the husky are well-defined, and the color palette is limited to black and white, which gives it a distinguished, regal feel. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this logo represents an era when the University of Connecticut basketball program was vaulted into the spotlight, with legends Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton and Rebecca Lobo donning the UConn blue, red and white. Much like those teams of the 90s, this symbol was the basis for those that came after, so for both historical and aesthetic reasons, this logo is the greatest of all time.
Taylor Coonan
Campus Correspondent
Current Logo (2013-Present)
When Katy Perry talks about “fine, fresh, fierce,” this is exactly what we have here in the latest UConn logo. The blue eyes keep it an icy East Coast instead of West, and who isn’t a sucker for blue eyes, especially on our live mascot, Jonathan XIV. His eyes are gorgeous and that beauty has never been captured before in UConn’s branding. Don’t be fooled, though; Jonathan is no pretty boy and the intensity is high for this guy. You can just see it both within his eyes and the overall shape of his face. Also, we have such incredible precision in all dimensions of the graphic. It is so aesthetically pleasing to have an image that is perfectly symmetrical, which was never a feature on the face of UConn before 2013. The geometric design allows for an almost three-dimensional dog, coming out at you and ready to attack with plenty of intense athleticism in “Storrs” for opponents.