Harvard University sponsors over 40 varsity teams and has a longstanding tradition of athletic excellence. Its brand identity, notably the Harvard Crimson logo, has remained remarkably consistent for over 65 years, embodying the university's prestigious history.

Harvard Crimson Logo History

The current Harvard Crimson logo, adopted in 1956, features a simple crimson shield with a large letter "H" in the center. This minimalistic yet iconic design is framed with thin black and white borders, giving it a retro elegance.

From 1971 to 2002, the logo featured a burgundy shield adorned with three open books arranged in a triangular formation, symbolizing the Latin word for "truth". The shield was surrounded by laurel wreaths, with the word “Harvard” written across a white ribbon beneath.

In 2002, the logo was simplified to just a burgundy shield with a bold white "H" in the middle, eliminating the extra details. The most recent redesign in 2020 removed the black outline around the "H" and the shield, giving it a smoother, cleaner appearance.

Harvard Crimson Teams and Sports

• Men’s Basketball: The Harvard men’s team has competed in five NCAA Division I tournaments and three National Invitation Tournaments, while the women’s team has won the Ivy League title eleven times, appearing in the NCAA Tournament six times.
• Football: One of the oldest teams in the world, the Harvard Crimson football team, founded in 1873, boasts thirteen national championships and twenty College Football Hall of Fame inductees.

Harvard Crimson Uniforms

The university's athletic teams wear uniforms in the official Harvard colors: crimson red, black, and white. Each sport has unique designs, while maintaining the consistent color scheme:

• Football: The main uniform consists of solid red pants and jerseys with white logos and numbers, and black gaiters and collar lines. An alternate white version features cream-colored pants with black gaiters.
• Basketball: The home uniform is white with crimson stripes on the sides, and the away kit is black with crimson stripes.
• Soccer: The soccer uniforms are either all-white for home games or solid crimson for away games, with matching gaiters.
• Rugby: The rugby uniform stands out with horizontally striped red and black t-shirts and black shorts and gaiters.

Harvard Crimson Helmets

The Harvard football helmets have a sleek, minimalistic design with a crimson-red background, a bold black "H" outlined in white, and three bold stripes across the center: a wide black stripe flanked by two thinner white ones.

Harvard Crimson Stadiums and Facilities

Harvard boasts several top-tier facilities for its teams:

• Bright-Landry Hockey Center (1956): Home to the men's ice hockey team, with a seating capacity of over 3,000.
• Harvard Stadium (1903): A horseshoe-shaped football stadium with a rich history, used by the Harvard Crimson football team.
• Lavietes Pavilion (1926): One of the oldest basketball arenas in NCAA, with 1,600 seats.
• Newell Boathouse (1900) and Weld Boathouse (1907): These rowing facilities are central to the Crimson's prestigious rowing programs.

Harvard Crimson Colors

Harvard’s official colors are integral to its identity:

• Crimson: PMS 187 U/1807C, #A41034, RGB: (164, 16, 52)
• Black: PMS BLACK 6 C, #000000, RGB: (0,0,0)
• Cool Grey: PMS COOL GRAY 8, #808285, RGB: (128, 130, 133)
• Silver: PMS COOL GRAY 4, #B6B6B6, RGB: (182, 182, 182)

These colors reinforce the university’s legacy of strength, excellence, and tradition across all its athletic teams and events.