91ԭƬ

The 91ԭƬ is a university on the rise. As our enrollment, research impact and national reputation continue to grow, we have a significant opportunity to elevate our visibility and better communicate who we are, what we stand for and the value we provide to Nevada and beyond.

Guided by extensive market research throughout the project and informed by input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community stakeholders, this initiative is designed to better reflect the excellence, innovation and impact that define the University today.

Higher education is more competitive than ever. While research shows the University is highly respected, awareness and understanding of our impact are significantly lower outside Northern Nevada. This brand initiative helps us tell a clearer, more compelling story, strengthen our reputation, support enrollment growth, and position Nevada's flagship university for continued success in an increasingly competitive landscape.

The brand initiative also closely aligns with our core, historic institutional mission and “Wolf Pack Rising,” our strategic plan that calls for the University to find new and engaging strategies to share our story more widely with the University’s various stakeholders and publics.

Specifically, in the strategic plan, goal #1 (“Strengthen the Pack”) calls for us to increase equitable outcomes and student enrollment to 25,000 by 2030. Goal #6 (“Expand the Wolf Pack Impact”) speaks to the ways we should strengthen the University’s reputation and brand recognition nationally and globally.

The University’s new brand identity is shaped by extensive research, stakeholder engagement and market analysis conducted over several years.

Research shows that while the University is highly respected and well established, awareness and understanding of our impact decline significantly outside our region and state. As higher education becomes increasingly competitive, we recognized the need for a stronger, more unified brand that clearly communicates who we are, what sets us apart and the value of a Nevada education.

The process began with baseline research in 2024 to better understand awareness, perceptions and the factors that influence prospective students and families when making college decisions. That research revealed two key opportunities: increasing awareness beyond Northern Nevada and simplifying a fragmented visual identity that included multiple logos and brand marks.

Following a national request for proposals (RFP) process that attracted more than 30 advertising/marketing agencies, we selected R&R Partners of Nevada – for decades considered one of the preeminent leaders in the country for advertising, brand strategy, data science and marketing reputation – to help guide a comprehensive brand discovery process. Together, we conducted stakeholder and leadership workshops, in-depth interviews, market and competitor analysis, consumer insights and the higher education landscape.

A wide range of stakeholders were engaged, including students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors, through focus groups and feedback sessions to better understand the values, experiences and strengths that define the University.

Finally, potential brand concepts were tested with prospective students and caregivers across Nevada and additional priority recruitment states. The feedback helped validate the strategic direction and ensure the new brand identity would resonate with the audiences we seek to reach and inspire.

The result is a research-based brand identity designed to strengthen awareness, support enrollment growth, enhance our reputation and position Nevada's flagship university for continued success in the years ahead.

Our new brand identity is both authentically rooted in the University’s more than 150 years of heritage and legacy while also giving us a fresh, collegial look, including updated logos, a modern visual system and a new brand campaign – Where World Changers Get to Work –  that more clearly communicates who we are and the value we bring to our students, our state, and society through compelling and authentic storytelling. It highlights what makes us different and aids us in consistently sharing that story. Together, these elements help bring our distinctive strengths, ambitious vision and transformative impact to life for audiences within the state of Nevada and beyond.

Interlocked Logo

As Nevada’s flagship higher education institution, the University’s Interlocked logo symbolizes the enduring foundation and spirit that has driven us since 1874. Because of this, the logo has a feeling of authority, expertise and longevity. It was designed to feel authentically rooted in heritage and legacy yet be timeless and modern enough to take the brand forward through the next 150 years.

The Interlocked logo is inspired by the University’s past, including the well-established University seal, and more specifically historic typography, allowing the brand to feel familiar while being new.

Nevada has a nationally recognized and unique state silhouette. As the first university established in the state, we would be remiss not to include the state shape somehow. We have incorporated the dynamic sense of movement in the strong northwest-to-southeast diagonal line of the state shape. By simply interweaving the U and N, the iconic Nevada shape is revealed in an organic way.

Embedded within the Interlocked logo is a star that pays tribute to our home in Reno while providing a subtle geographic cue for audiences less familiar with Nevada. Together, these elements communicate our heritage and our forward-looking vision.

The Nevada Wolf Logo

The Nevada Wolf, formerly the Sport Wolf, is our spirit logo and a new take on what we have always been about: action, momentum and the Pack. The University has seen its fair share of wolf depictions through its history. Just as that Interlocked logo takes cues from the past to look to the future, this logo takes inspiration from its predecessors. This design is not about a fresh coat of paint or bowing to current trends. It is about the creation of an authentic symbol for the University of Nevada — one of pride, togetherness and momentum. A symbol that isn’t just about Athletics but the spirit of the University. This logo might be new, but it feels familiar—as if it should have always looked this way.

While our primary spirit logo incorporates so much of what the University is about; every wolf needs its pack. A Nevada Wolf system was developed to help reinforce this idea and to create flexibility in the overall University branding so that the pack can always be present.

The Regal Trio features three wolves representing the strength, unity and energy of the Wolf Pack. The Trio – Wolfie Jr., Luna and Alphie – reflects our vibrant and inclusive community, one that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. The Trio of Wolves serves as a visual reminder of the connections that strengthen our Pack and the shared purpose that drives us forward.

The Interlocked logo – our symbol of institutional authority, founded on a long history of excellence but timeless in both meaning and design.

The Nevada Wolf logo – captures our spirit; the energy and momentum of what is possible when you are part of the Pack.

Two Logos. One Pack.

The University has had a multitude of logos since its founding in 1874. There have been Ns, UNs and U of Ns. Some have been intricate. Some have been bold. Some were used longer than others, but they were all part of the University’s heritage and brand DNA.

Existing logos will be phased out over time and replaced through a gradual implementation process and will incorporate updates into regular replacement cycles whenever possible.

Certain historical logos may remain as legacy elements that reflect the University's heritage, while official print and digital communications will transition to the new identity.

The University’s Office of Marketing & Communications will lead a thoughtful, multi-year phased implementation across the institution beginning with high-visibility items such as recruitment materials and digital communications. We are taking a responsible approach by incorporating updates for items on and off campus into normal replacement cycles whenever possible. At the same time, the “Where World Changers Get to Work” brand campaign will be introduced starting January 2027 in key, in-state and out-of-state recruitment markets to build awareness and strengthen our competitive position.

Nevada Athletics is a vital part of the University's identity and tradition. The Nevada Wolf, formerly the Sport Wolf, has evolved as the University's new spirit logo, embodying the pride, strength and momentum of the Wolf Pack. Paired with the new Interlocked logo, it creates a cohesive brand system that unites academics, athletics and the broader University community under one shared identity. Nevada Athletics will begin incorporating both logos into future designs and brand activations over time.