Worcester, MA --- At the senior awards banquet on Tuesday, May 3, the Worcester State Athletics Department officially unveiled its new athletics logo, which was designed by Phoenix Design Works based in Maplewood, New Jersey. The new insignia will be slowly integrated within the department over the course of the next year.

“We are excited about launching our new modernized ‘Lancer’ logo,” said Athletics Director Sue Chapman.

“With our new university branding initiative and the prospective future opportunities on campus, the time was right to give our department a new, clean identity as we move into the future.”

The original Lancer was first created in 1953 by the first Athletics Director at Worcester State, John Mockler. Mockler commissioned an artist to create a logo that had a knight with a lancer in a jousting position and to be sitting on a horse. It eventually replaced the old athletics stationary that had the Massachusetts State Seal on it.

With the beginning of the new millennium, the athletics logo was then refurbished and updated by former men’s soccer coach and Sports Information Director David Morris to a Lancer holding a sword, over the words “Worcester State Athletics”.

“We have enjoyed our experience with Phoenix Design Works,” said Chapman. “We were familiar with their company after they had provided other institutions in our conference with a new and innovative look.

“After they presented us with ideas to work with, their staff did an outstanding job of listening to our suggestions and our feedback to create a final product that we are enthusiastic about using.”

In addition to having a primary mark, the Athletics Department also has a secondary mark of the Lancer head and sport specific logos for each of the schools 20 varsity sports.

T-shirts with the new Lancer logo were handed out to each of the senior student-athletes present at the awards banquet.