Vanderbilt Commodores Logo

Vanderbilt Commodores Logo
Since at least 1969, the athletic logo of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has featured either a large “V,” or a star, or, more often, both.

Meaning and history

Vanderbilt Commodores Logo history

The Vanderbilt Commodores logo introduced in 1969 showcased a black star with gold trim and the gold letter “V” inside. In 1984, the “V” moved outside the star. In 1986-1990, the letter moved inside the black star again. Now, the emblem looked almost exactly like its predecessor from 1969.
On the 1991 emblem, there is a large “V” with the word “Vanderbilt” written across it. The following two emblems (1999 and 2004) preserve the same structure, although the typography is different. On the 2008 logo, we see the “V” inside a black star again.