Location
Petoskey, MI
The Challenge
The Problem: North Central Michigan College, a community college serving 2,500+ students in Petoskey, was transitioning from club sports to full NJCAA Division II athletics. They had no official mascot. Athletic teams were using generic clip-art wolves downloaded from the internet. Each coach was creating their own “Timberwolves” design, resulting in 7 different visual identities across sports.
The Impact:
- Athletic recruitment suffered—prospective athletes saw the inconsistent branding and questioned the program’s credibility
- Merchandise sales were non-existent because students had no official gear to buy
- NJCAA conference rivals had professional, cohesive brands; NCMC looked amateur by comparison
- Local apparel vendors refused to produce gear without official brand guidelines
The college needed a complete athletic identity system—from concept to vendor-ready files—within 12 weeks before the fall sports season.
Our Task
Develop a comprehensive Timberwolves identity system that would:
- Work across 8 NJCAA sports (football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc.)
- Meet broadcast legibility standards for livestreams and local TV
- Function on helmets, uniforms, courts, and social media
- Appeal to 18-22 year-old students (not K-12)
- Position NCMC as a competitive D-II athletics program
The system needed to feel collegiate and aggressive—appropriate for competitive athletics while maintaining community college accessibility.
Our Action Plan
Research (Weeks 1-2):
- Surveyed 180 current students and 40 prospective athletes
- Analyzed 15 NJCAA Division II athletic brands for competitive positioning
- Tested 4 wolf mascot styles with focus groups
- Reviewed Northern Michigan regional symbolism (sunrise, forests, resilience)
Key Insight: Students wanted an “angular, modern wolf” that felt powerful but not cartoonish. The sunrise element tested well as a Northern Michigan differentiator.
Design Development (Weeks 3-8): Created a geometric timberwolf design with:
- Angular construction: Sharp edges for modern, aggressive feel
- Sunrise shield background: Regional relevance + upward momentum symbolism
- Forward-facing stance: Confidence and determination
- Blue/gold palette: NCMC’s existing colors, optimized for contrast
- Three variations: Primary crest, shield head (for helmets), wordmark-only
System Architecture (Weeks 9-11):
- 12 official logo variations (one-color, reversed, stacked, horizontal)
- Custom athletic numerals for uniforms
- Social media template system
- Court/field graphic specifications
- 45-page vendor guidelines with Pantone/CMYK/RGB/HEX specs
- Embroidery-ready files with stitch counts
Vendor Rollout (Week 12): Delivered complete production package to 3 local vendors for immediate fabrication.
Measurable Results
Immediate Impact:
- 100% coach approval on first presentation (rare for multi-sport rollout)
- Merchandise launch: $22,000 in sales first 90 days (vs. $0 previous year)
- Social media reveal: 28,000+ impressions, 1,200+ shares from alumni
- Athletic recruitment: 18% increase in athlete inquiries after rebrand announcement
Long-Term Growth:
- NJCAA credibility established: Conference competitors now view NCMC as a serious program
- Spirit wear revenue: Ongoing monthly average of $6,500 (new sustainable revenue stream)
- Community engagement: Local businesses began sponsoring teams, citing “professional brand presence”
- Enrollment impact: Athletic program enrollment increased 31% in first year post-rebrand
Board Room Metrics:
- All 8 sports now use cohesive brand system (previously 7 different approaches)
- Vendor production time reduced 40% with standardized specifications
- Athletic department marketing costs decreased $4,200 annually (unified templates vs. custom designs)
The comprehensive system transformed NCMC athletics from “club sport feel” to legitimate NJCAA Division II program—proving that visual identity directly impacts recruitment, revenue, and competitive positioning.
FAQs
Why Timberwolves?
Chosen by students and stakeholders—local relevance, teamwork and resilience fit the college’s culture.
How does the brand scale from club sports to NJCAA?
Marks were tested for legibility on uniforms, helmets and broadcasts; the system includes one‑color and small‑size variants.
What do vendors receive?
A complete kit: vector files, color values, print/embroidery specs, and layout examples for quick adoption.
