Retrievers Wordmark Logo

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers have been fixtures in the sports world since 1966. The school's mascot, True Grit, has been around for nearly as long and is among the most recognizable in college athletics. But many people don't know that UMBC also has a rich history with its wordmark logo.

The original wordmark was designed by then-athletic director Bob Driscoll in 1966 when he first created the university’s athletic program. It featured two large letters – U and M – which were meant to represent “University of Maryland” while B stood for “Baltimore County” and C signified “Collegiate Athletics." This classic design was used until 1990 when it was updated to reflect new trends. The updated version kept much of its original shape but changed colors from black to blue and added some serifs on each letterform, giving it more depth than before.

In 2003, another redesign took place, with a larger, bolder typeface with sharper edges compared to previous versions, creating a more modern look overall. This iteration lasted until 2016, when another refresh occurred, adding even greater detail, such as small stars within each letter form, providing texture throughout. Today, UMBC's current logo features three distinct shades of blue and gold outlining, making it stand out among other collegiate logos across America.

Sports fans can be proud knowing their beloved team carries so much history behind its iconic symbol, representing decades' worth of hard work, dedication & spirit all rolled into one eye-catching package!