On June 2, California State University, Northridge’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has launched a new visual identity that modernizes Matador Athletics and introduces a distinctive, classic and iconic athletic image that reflects the history, current success and future aspirations of the department. CSUN Athletics kicked off the “Rise of the Matadors” pride campaign at an event on campus.

“The Matadors, like the entire university, are on the rise,” CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison said. “The success of our student-athletes, in action and in the classroom, creates numerous opportunities for engagement with both our campus community and the entire Los Angeles region. With more than 38,000 students and championship-caliber athletic teams competing at the top of their game, it is an exciting time to be a Matador. The relaunch of our athletics identity captures the excitement of these programs while staying true to the legacy of more than five decades of athletic success.”

The new “Rise of the Matadors” campaign includes redesigned Matador Athletics images, as well as consistent nomenclature on uniforms and in print. Replacing the familiar sight of “Matty” the Matador behind a block “N” logo is a more historical representation of the Matador with cape in hand. In an effort to standardize references to the University’s athletic teams, the department is now simply the CSUN Matadors — eliminating confusion created by multiple names, such as “Cal State Northridge” and “Northridge,” and promoting unity between each team, the athletic department and the University.

“Our objective with this project was to create a bold, high-performing athletic image and pride campaign that would maximize enthusiasm and interest in supporting CSUN Athletics,” said Brandon E. Martin, CSUN’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “The success of this campaign will depend on us communicating with consistency and effectiveness.”

Developed in partnership with Joe Bosack Graphic Design Co., the new athletics identity evokes confidence, fearlessness and determination: qualities the Matadors display in the classroom, as well as in competition, Martin said. In addition to updating its visual look, CSUN Athletics officials hope to build a deeper connection with the Latino community through the distribution of Spanish-language news releases, game recaps and Twitter posts.

“The new CSUN images represent a new direction and a fresh new attitude. It’s about a new CSUN,” said CSUN Men’s Basketball Head Coach Reggie Theus. “The vision of Dr. Harrison and Dr. Martin represents a very special new era.”

As part of the rebranding, all 19 intercollegiate programs will receive new uniforms to achieve consistency in colors, images, numerals and lettering.

“This is a representation of the changes that are going on in the University. I think that is a step in the right direction that should be embraced by everybody involved with CSUN,” said Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jason Flowers. “You should be excited about it. It is an exciting time to be a Matador and I think the new look of the Matador represents the boldness that makes CSUN, CSUN.”

The first phase of the rebranding process will begin this summer and will include the addition of the new images across athletic facilities, specifically the Matadome, athletics administration building, coaches’ offices and outdoor athletic venues, and will commence this summer.

The pride campaign extends beyond the CSUN campus itself and will include advertising, street banners, team posters, schedule cards, facilities signage and video board graphics.

Merchandise featuring the new images will be available at CSUN’s Matador Bookstore in the coming days and weeks. Casual apparel aimed at Matador fans will also be available to the general public through GoMatadors.com. Fans can also purchase CSUN gear at Sport Chalet in Porter Ranch, beginning on June 4.

“The University Corporation is very excited to support Athletics on the launch by coordinating the behind-the-scenes work to get the CSUN apparel and gifts in the bookstore for purchase,” said Heather Cairns, associate director of administrative services for The University Corporation.

The new identity and latest on CSUN athletics can also be seen in the brand new GoMatadors.com and updates to the CSUN Front Row app.

GoMatadors.com has been updated to improve the fan experience by simplifying navigation and presenting information in a clean and concise package. Users will notice the new and improved story rotator, as well as an enhanced scoreboard presented below. Quick links to social media outlets for CSUN Athletics and all-access feeds for audio and video broadcasts for competitions can be found in the tool bar on the left side of every page.

CSUN Front Row continues to provide the greatest amount of coverage for Matador fans on the go and receives graphic updates that incorporate the new CSUN Athletics images. Mobile users are encouraged to download CSUN Front Row for free on their iOS or Android device and subscribe to notifications within the app to receive final score alerts for their favorite sports. For more information and to download the app, visit http://gomatadors.com/frontrow.

Athletics