51����

BRISTOL, R.I. ­­– From now on, opposing athletics teams will know it when the 51���� Hawks swoop into town.

51���� and Fisher Bus Inc. on Monday unveiled a team bus emblazoned with the new Hawks logo and updated color scheme.

“Wrapping the team bus with our new Hawks logo provides a boost to our varsity and club athletes when traveling,” 51����Vice President for Student Life John King said. “Credit Athletics Director Kiki Jacobs, our marketing and advancement teams, and especially Fisher Bus for this exciting collaboration.”

In the past, the team bus contained no university logo or other identification. But RWU’s fierce new Hawks logo will announce the arrival of athletics teams – beginning Monday night, when the 51����hockey team plays Bridgewater State, in Massachusetts.

Kristin “Kiki” Jacobs, RWU’s Director of Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation, said that when the University negotiated a new contract with Fisher Bus Inc., it made the bus logo a priority. So there was no additional cost to the University.

“It’s a source of pride for the student-athlete,” Jacobs said. “More schools are going toward this. It really shows our commitment to athletics and the student-athlete experience. It’s essentially a moving billboard for the school, and it will make us better known in the community.”

Ryan Fisher – a 2008 51����graduate who is now operations manager for Fisher Bus Inc., based in Somerset, Mass. – said the new Hawks logo is much more modern and three-dimensional than the prior Hawks logo. And he said it will send an unmistakable message when the bus pulls onto an opposing team’s campus: “We’re here to play. We’re here to win.”

The bus now bears the new logo and color palette that 51����unveiled in July. The modernized look aims to help foster a strong, unified visual identity for 51����Athletics that is more cohesive with the overall University. That combination is expected to strengthen RWU’s brand identity and awareness.