U of Ill. looking to refresh its logo, branding

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — The University of Illinois says it will be spending the next year and a half re-evaluating its logos and branding, calling the effort overdue in sparking interest among recruits and fans.

The News-Gazette (http://bit.ly/XMahiJ) in Champaign reports that university officials say the review is unrelated to Chief Illiniwek.

As the university's assistant athletic director for corporate sponsorships, Marty Kaufmann says the university hasn't updated any of its brands since before 2007.

Kaufmann adds the university will work with Nike's graphic designers and marketing experts to refresh the school's look and brand, at Nike's expense. That could include tweaking a font or making the colors more consistent.

He says any changes likely won't be apparent until the fall of next year.

Kaufmann says the rebranding push won't address the mascot issue.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com