UT Southern Announces Athletic Branding, Mascot

Pulaski—With fire in its eye and thunder in its wings, Flame the Firehawk will launch at UT Southern (UTS).

“I am excited about the new feel of UT Southern athletics, and starting out with a new mascot will bring excitement to the entire campus,” Brandie Paul, UTS athletic director, said. “Flame the Firehawk will be a sure ‘fire’ hit.”

Joining the University of Tennessee System allowed UTS leaders to reimagine its mascot and athletic colors. After hosting focus groups to listen to students, faculty, alumni and community members, university leadership opted to add orange to its color palate of red and black. It also embraced a new mascot – Flame the Firehawk.

Knoxville-based illustrator Danny Wilson developed the concept and logo for the Firehawks.

Firehawks represents the fifth mascot for the university. When the university exclusively taught women, the teams were known as the Spinsters. During the college’s brief foray into football in 1939 and 1940, the team was known as the Cardinals. In 1950, the teams became known as the Indians, which lasted until 2002 when they became the RedHawks.

“I was here when Rowdy the Redhawk was introduced, it was exciting to see him become the spirit of our campus,” Paul said. “The unveiling will start us off in a direction that will be new and invigorating. Flame the Firehawk will light the way for a new spirit in our new UT family.”

UTS will unveil new uniforms for its 19 teams in late August.

To download athletic marks, visit news.tennessee.edu/ut-southern/