UNA to start fall semester with new logo + new branding

Just ahead of the school’s bicentennial celebration, the University of North Alabama will begin the 2026 fall semester with a new look. The university has rolled out a new brand and campaign aimed at increasing the university’s appeal to a wider group of prospective students.

The announcement of the new brand was accompanied by the release of a new short film—“Grow Your World”—designed to appeal to students of all ages, from first-generation students to adult learners seeking to expand their skills for the workforce.

What’s new about the UNA brand?

The new branding features the iconic fountain on campus, replacing the lion that had adorned the logo for decades. UNA will continue to be the Lions, and this change does not affect the athletics logo.

According to school officials, the new brand and brand campaign are the result of months of work by the team in UNA’s Enrollment Marketing and Digital Communications, who partnered with several agencies throughout the process.

Additionally, the university held a series of listening sessions with students, faculty, staff and alumni to conduct brand research and select the final iconography. Afterwards, the EMDC conducted a Brand Camp to onboard campus to the new visual identity.

“UNA is an exceptional place, with an exceptional story to tell – a story that dates back almost 200 years. As it is such a significant time in our history and with the bicentennial just around the corner, UNA is well-positioned to begin sharing this unique story more broadly and with a new generation of learners.”

_{Dr. Ken Kitts, UNA president}

Lee Taylor, EMDC Director, said the new brand is UNA’s opportunity to capture its narrative and “share it with the world.”

“A rebrand is a byproduct of what the data was telling us that we had to do, and it was telling us that what we were presenting to the world was not aligned with what others knew to be true about us.

This is our opportunity to share the story of who we are and the depth of how the world perceives us. As our third century of providing a high-quality education approaches, we needed a way to represent ourselves and the value we bring to the region through the transformative learning experiences we offer.”

_{Lee Taylor, UNA EMDC director}

The ‘Grow Your World’ short film

The “Grow Your World” short film was released alongside the new logo and branding, featuring generations of past and prospective students, all on their journey through UNA.

You can watch the full video HERE.