UWM, Milwaukee Panthers logo and branding over the years

Milwaukee's current logo is probably the best yet, but it is far from distinctive or "iconic"

Our branding is OK (ie. "meh").

It's not bad. It is certainly not unique, ultra-fashionable or popular among the top brands in Division I sports, though. And I think that could change with the right planning, effort and execution by expert graphic designers who consider themselves artists above all else.

I have noticed that, since Lundy's third season it seems, we have virtually ditched our traditional black and gold uniforms (both at home and on the road) in favor of the cream home, "Milwaukee" uniforms and their black road "Panthers" counterparts. These uniforms are not bad looking at all and resemble the black and white uniform scheme last used in the early 1990s (and when we beat Bucky in Madison in December of 1992, for example).

But the fact we don't even wear our school colors seems a bit strange, no? What is our "brand"? What does our fan base rally around? "Black and White"? Or "Black and Cream"? Both those seem... off. But maybe if we officially ditched black and gold it'd sound a little less odd.

But the "Fight, fight for the Black and Gold" is embedded in our school fight song. And "Our loyalty to Black and Gold" in our alma mater. 😟

I personally think we'd be in good shape with a new Panther head logo and some uniforms much like we currently have but with black (road) and gold (home) and lots of gold trim on the road unis.

I don't know what the solution is, but the status quo is getting stale fast (I believe our last branding revamp was way back in 2010 when Jansport (of all companies to let handle that... 😑) came up with some unpolished, disposable Pounce Panther head and body logos, no effort was made to push the monogram, "M" logo and we've been stuck with more or less the same, very Missouri Tigers-esque Panther head logo since ~2000?

I don't think this is something to just put to a student contest and hope for the best. I think the university marketing department, the athletic department, marketing minds from the Lubar School of Business and most importantly- artists and creative design experts from the Peck School of the Arts need to join forces to develop a new Panther logo, a go-to "monogram M" shorthand logo and a definitive style guide to drive a creative, slick, fresh, modern Milwaukee Panthers brand into the next 25 years of the 21st Century.

Milwaukee Panther branding history follows as food for thought.... I realize 2025 is not the best space in time to get the resources required to execute a university-wide rebrand but when the time is right and the funding and human resources required can be found- this should be a priority if Milwaukee wants to coalesce around a nationally known brand and sell a lot of new merchandise.

There are a couple places on the internet that contain a catalog and summary of the various logos and mascots that UWM has used over the years. The following provides some of the more notable images of the logos, mascots and school and team image branding we have adopted over the past 70+ years. 

1896

Founded in 1896 in downtown Milwaukee, the Wisconsin State Normal School "Normals" were one of the two main predecessors of what is now UWM

1927 - 1956

Wisconsin State Normal School was renamed "Milwaukee State Teacher's College" and adopted the nickname "Green Gulls"

(later colors were changed to read and white and the name was changed to the "Cardinals" when MSTC merged with a UW extension college in Milwaukee)

1965

In 1965, a Student Government referendum changed the mascot name to "Panthers" and a UWM Post drawing contest produced the first Panther designs

This confident, smirking Panther was a university favorite for many years

1970s

Like Butler and Blue II, etc., Milwaukee once had their own living Panther mascot at homes games, nicknamed "Trouble" 

(the human Milwaukee Panthers mascot was also named, "Victor E. Panther" at this time)

There were very chill depictions of the Panther mascot...

And some less chill ones (this one seemingly suggesting we are brutal to deal with on the gridiron!)

The current black and cream unis are cool but a bit strange as primaries; we have definitely had some loudly off-kilter unis in the past

1981

This image accompanies a story in the UWM post about the declining popularity of the Panther mascot on campus in 1981

1990s

In 1990, UWM re-entered NCAA Division I for good, generating a resurgence in Milwaukee Panther pride

The Panthers had this stylish logo in the midst of the "Organized Streetball" Antrim and Cobb Panther teams of the 1990s

Victor E. Panther when Milwaukee returned to DI for good

Victor E. Panther at a swim meet

Victor E. Panther getting some school spirit love from the Panther cheerleading squad

2001-2010

With a backdrop of the curious blue and purple Panther logo, Bruce Pearl's arrival marked the beginning of Panther Basketball's biggest journey

This logo was a bit of a mess, but is the genesis of the current Panther head logo which is the only one that most casual fans have ever known

This letter block design has a very early 00's look, which is why it was used from ~2000-2009.

Similarly, this block Panther head design served as the primary logo until the most recent brand facelift in 2010-2011

Victor E. Panther was retired in 2007 and replaced by "Pounce Panther"

Chancellor Carlos Santiago introduces "Pounce Panther", the current Milwaukee mascot

2010-Present

The monogram Milwaukee "M" looks great on hats and other apparel, but we seldom put it on any official merch or communications

Like it or love it, this is and has been the primarily and only Milwaukee Panthers logo since ~2011

The Panther statue provides an important touchstone on campus for students to connect with their university team name and mascot

Pounce is everywhere and is a very recognizable face on campus and at sporting events- another reason "Panthers" sticks with UWM students

It has become a tradition to have a photo taken sitting on the Milwaukee Panther statue for undergraduate students...

As well as graduate students...

Pounce is there to lead the team into battle at (once, nearly all, now seemingly only "select") basketball games

When at his best Pounce gets the student section rocking in order to help sway the Panther Arena environment toward Panther victories

A mainstay of our image branding is the university seal (logo since at least 2001):

I'm not sure what the future holds, but I sure hope that we remain the "Panthers" and that we retain our school colors of black 🖤 and gold 💛. When I was a student there was an SA referendum to change the school's name from UWM and "University of Wisconsin Milwaukee" to "WSU" and "Wisconsin State University"- and it nearly passed! - so anything could happen... Milwaukee Green Gulls? Milwaukee Lakers? Milwaukee Castaways? Who knows... I think we will see a significant change- (hopefully a universally cheered and good one) in the next 5-10 years.

It's just a shame when people choose to throw away (as opposed to build upon)- tradition and legend. 

Enlist the artists at Peck School of the Arts. Don't have unaffiliated outside groups with zero institutional knowledge "focus-group" and astro-turf everything- get real feedback from the community members and stakeholders most invested in Panther Athletics. Get real, organic support from the Milwaukee Panther community behind a game-changing Panther logo and brand upgrade.

Embrace the history of your predecessors and the times that shaped this beautiful campus and all who have been blessed to learn within its boundaries and tread along its vast treelined, Lake-adjacent spaces.

Put an affirmative, mid-21st Century stamp on the collegiate athletics world with a revitalized and distinctive image of UWM and the Milwaukee Panthers.

Unless you have reached the highest level and your brand is perfected and universally recognized like Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan, Syracuse, Duke, etc.- branding has a shelf life.

References:

https://www.uwmvault.com/about.html

https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/915/Wisconsin-Milwaukee-Panthers-Logos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Milwaukee

https://guides.library.uwm.edu/c.php?g=56344

https://genius.com/University-of-wisconsin-milwaukee-uwm-alma-mater-lyrics

go panthers.

remember the little things. 🏆🏀