“We are committed to restoring the visibility of the Lady Vol brand and showing it the reverence it deserves so our Tennessee family can move forward, more united, to blaze new trails of excellence.”
Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics John Currie and UT Knoxville Chancellor Dr. Beverly Davenport have committed to restore visibility of the iconic “Lady Vols” name, logo and brand.
Currie spoke at length about the enhanced branding measures during a press conference at the Ray & Lucy Hand Digital Studio Thursday. In a prepared statement, Currie acknowledged the pain resulting from the 2014 decision to minimize the official use and visibility of Lady Vol branding.
“While the ‘Power T’ is the official mark of the University of Tennessee, we are committed to restoring the visibility of the Lady Vol brand and showing it the reverence it deserves so our Tennessee family can move forward, more united, to blaze new trails of excellence,” Currie said. “We understand that people are very passionate about the Lady Vol brand, and the Chancellor and I have been diligent about seeking perspective from various constituencies since each of us were appointed.
“We will not allow for the Lady Vol brand to disappear from our athletics department or university.”
Measures to restore the prominence of Tennessee’s Lady Vol presence include:
· Reaffirming a commitment to restore visibility of the Lady Vols name, logo and brand.
· Continuing to honor and celebrate UT’s legacy of incredible national leadership and accomplishments in women’s athletics.
· Affirming the freedom for our student-athletes to refer to themselves, and their teams, as “Lady Vols” while competing under the official mark of the university – the “Power T.”
· Restoring Lady Vol branding and signage to athletic facilities such as Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and Regal Stadium.
· Providing apparel options that include Lady Vols branding and color scheme.
“Today’s announcement serves as official confirmation that the Lady Vol name, logo and brand will continue to stand prominently as marks of excellence in intercollegiate athletics,” Davenport said. “As I have said on multiple occasions, I deeply value the Lady Vols legacy and what it represents to the University of Tennessee and women athletes.
“As I visited with student-athletes, they used words such as respect, commitment, honor, tradition and progress for women when articulating what the Lady Vol brand meant to them.”
In October 2014, university leadership announced that the “Power T” logo—which had previously been utilized solely by the athletics department—would stand as the official mark of the entire UT Knoxville campus.
“Yes, our university has decided on one official mark and brand,” Currie said. “But that does not mean that all other brands iconic to our history and tradition must cease to exist.
“I do believe it’s important to preserve and celebrate the Lady Vol and logo, which has for decades—and still does—possess great meaning and evoke incredible pride among many supporters of this university.”
-UT Athletics
